


Outliers

by berryblonde



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Autistic Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Blood, Don't @ Me, Good Dog Sumo (Detroit: Become Human), Good Parent Hank Anderson, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Human Upgraded Connor | RK900, M/M, Mild Android Gore, More characters to be added, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Some background relationships, bc I said so, in this one gavin liccs things, it's blue but still, more fluff than i anticipated, reverse au, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2019-07-04 08:56:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 69,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15837975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryblonde/pseuds/berryblonde
Summary: An old police android, battered and damaged, an Outlier of his kind.A young Detective, unlike any other the GV200 has met before, different, just like himself.Their paths cross in October 2038.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before I begin, I want to say this: The way I write Connor here is mostly based off on my own personal experience and the previous research I have done. I know very well that every person on the spectrum is different, there is no "One Type" of autism. The headcanon is very dear to me, and I've been excited to write a story with human Connor for a bit now. But I want everyone who reads to know that this is, first of all, not a representation of all autistic people, not in the slightest. Second of all, if you, as a reader, are on the spectrum yourself but don't feel yourself struggle with the things Connor, and if we extend that, I struggle, if you're experience looks entirely different, that does not mean you're wrong or in any way less autistic. I felt the need to clarify and say it because I've been in such a spot myself more than once.  
> If you ever feel like anything is incredibly off, feel free to tell me in the comments or dm me on tumblr.
> 
> OKAY NOW THAT THE VERY SERIOUS PART IS OVER  
> i want to thank the absolutely lovely [Fitzcarraldo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fitzcarraldo/pseuds/Fitzcarraldo) on here and [gavin-richard-reed](https://gavin-richard-reed.tumblr.com) on tumblr for not only being my greatest motivation here, but also editing this for me. Thank you so much dear.  
> okay, now, finally, on with the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it :)

Left, right, left, from one hand to another.

 

Connor was throwing his coin around at what some might have considered inhuman speed, eyes closed and sitting in the passenger seat of his adoptive father’s car.

 

The small piece of metal danced along his knuckles, barely creating any friction but just enough for Connor to feel it and give him something to focus on, swiftly catching it between the index and middle finger of his right hand, seconds before their car came to a halt in front of a traffic light.

 

It wasn’t the first time he visited the precinct Hank worked at. He had been there for more than one Christmas party at the station, together with Hank and his brother, even though he never stayed long and always opted to leave as early as he could without appearing rude.

 

Yet he still found himself to be incredibly nervous at the day to come, his first, official work day. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t looking forward to it, he was doing so very much.

 

The young man had dreamed of pursuing a career in law enforcement since he could remember, his ambitions only becoming stronger when he and his younger twin were taken in by Hank who was, coincidentally, a police Lieutenant.

 

Connor exhaled, shakily, coin only stuttering a tiny bit in its intricate dance as their drive continued, heart beating heavily in his chest. There was no reason to be this distraught, not really, he knew Hank would be there all the time, he had his coin with him, he was prepared, he had looked up each and every member of the police department the days before and had even met some of them.

 

No matter how hard he tried to argue with himself or how much he tried to banish all possible scenarios of what could go wrong and what he might do wrong from his head, the nervousness stayed and Connor was pretty sure that by now Hank had looked at him worriedly at least twice since they had started driving at exactly 8:34 a.m., surprisingly early for the Lieutenant.

 

In a quick motion he wrapped his left hand around the coin he had been flicking between his fingers, opening his eyes just the tiniest bit to see where they were, his stomach doing flips at the realization that he didn’t _know_ because he had closed his eyes.

 

Glancing out of the window he noticed that they were only about three minutes away from their destination, Hank’s paper mug in the cup holder now void of the black coffee that had been filling it just fifteen minutes ago.

Connor could feel his shoulders tense up again, trying to block out the overwhelmingly loud sound of the car engine and focus on his coin, the cold and smooth metal between his fingers comforting him like nothing else could.

 

Torn between the need to drown out all other stimuli besides the coin in his hand and the need to know exactly where he was, he could feel his breathing going slightly faster. His eyes eventually fell shut again, his mind trying to concentrate solely on the object that kept flying back and forth between his hands and making its way through his fingers.

 

Then the car came to a halt and Connor could feel his heart skip a beat as he caught his coin and pocketed it, still feeling its weight through the fabric of his pants.

 

Upon opening his eyes he saw that Hank himself hadn’t made an attempt to open the door and get out of their vehicle, a rather old, manual car, manufactured way back in the early 2000s.

 

“Will you be okay, son?” he asked, staring straight ahead and therefore giving Connor the chance to choose whether he wanted to look at him directly without the pressure of the other already having his eyes locked onto him.

 

Connor smiled, thankful for both the gesture and his father’s concern.

“I… I think I will. I’ve worked quite hard for this, I can do it.” A quick glance towards Hank showed the other man nodding.

 

“I know, just wanted to make sure. The first day is always the fucking worst. Was nervous as hell when I started out, you should’ve fucking seen me.” He laughed, and Connor’s smile widened just a bit.

“Alright, let’s get going then, what do ya say? Those fuckers will be pretty surprised seeing me here this early.”

 

The smile on the young man’s face fell just a bit. He knew Hank was joking about it, this wasn’t the only time, but Connor couldn’t help but be worried for his adoptive dad at the mention.

 

Fortunately for him however Hank didn’t seemed to notice the change in Connor’s expression, and for a moment he wondered if his mouth had moved at all. He dismissed the thought and decided he was simply glad Hank hadn’t started pestering him about it as he got out of the car, dress shoes grinding over the small pebbles on the sidewalk.

 

Connor stayed still for a moment, taking in the new environment of the DPD parking lot, the cool October air cold against the quickly flushing skin of his face, taking in a deep breath before setting his feet in motion and following Hank towards the main entrance.

 

The first thing he noticed when entering the precinct was that nobody seemed to notice _him_. If anything it was Hank they were looking at, some nodding and smiling, some shouting a good-natured greeting or making a joke about Hank’s early appearance.

 

As Connor started following Hank to his desk, unsure what else to do, he could feel himself relax a tiny bit at the realization that none of the officers and detectives seemed to have any issue with his presence.

Multiple police assistants were lined up at the wall, standing inhumanly still in their docking station. A strange curiosity filled him as he let his gaze wander over them for a bit, hovering just a moment longer than strictly needed on the only one that looked out of place, a GV200. The model had been one of the first police assistant models ever released, given out to various departments around 2029 and, if what his brother had told him on the rare occasion he visited home and they could talk for more than a few minutes was anything to go by, had also been discontinued only two years after its initial release.

 

It was certainly… interesting that the Detroit Police Department still kept one of the models around, most of them having been deemed defective over the years already. If this one was actually one of the first ones handed out, and it looked the part, it was basically a relic.

 

Connor made a mental note to tell Niles about it; his brother would probably be more than a bit excited about such an early android model.

His gaze was still lingering on the GV200 android for a moment before he trailed after Hank, the small motion of a head turning towards him as his eyes left the form standing still against the wall probably just a figment of his imagination.

 

The large, black chair groaned as Hank dropped himself down into it, gesturing to the desk opposite of his.

 

“That’s gonna be yours. Was free anyways, so it wasn’t hard to get Jeffrey to agree to let you have that one. Hope that’s alright by you.”

 

“Yes,” Connor answered before he sat down, taking in what would be his own work space from now on.

 

The desk was empty save for a fairly modern-looking terminal, and Connor chuckled as he heard Hank grumble as his first attempt to log into his own terminal failed. There was no plate with his name, not yet, and Connor wondered if he should just wait or ask if there was anything he needed to do or maybe fill out to get one.

 

How should he even access the terminal? Did he need a password? An account? Of course he needed a password, and Connor held back a frustrated sigh.

 

He didn’t know what to do or how to act. He could start up his terminal, sure, but what was he supposed to do then? He should ask, probably, but would he be bothering Hank with it? Was he supposed to already know what he had to do? What if someone had already told him and he just hadn’t listened or properly processed it at that point and would make a complete fool out of himself if he asked again?

 

Maybe he had even already asked and had simply forgotten about it in his own nervousness.

 

Biting his lip, Connor turned around to let his eyes roam around the bullpen, examining and eventually recognizing the officers at their desks and in the break room.

 

Police Officers Tina Chen and Chris Miller were laughing and chatting, both of them with a cup of coffee in their hand, most likely from the coffee machine in the breakroom, Miller leaning against the edge of his table and Chen sitting in her chair, head thrown back in a fit of giggles.

 

Police Officer Person was sitting at her desk, eyes trained onto her terminal, most likely doing paperwork. The same was true for Officer Wilson.

 

Aside from them and the police assistant androids, consisting mostly of PC200 and PM700 models, and the old, slightly damaged GV200, the station was empty except for Hank and Connor, and of course, Fowler.

Would the Chief come to greet Connor, as this was his first day? Would he give him a plate, a badge, and access to the terminal? Someone still needed to show him around;besides from what he could see in the bullpen, he didn’t know where anything was.

 

Where were the bathrooms located? The evidence room? The lack of orientation was making him nervous again and his hand found his pocket, pulling out the coin he had placed there when he had gotten out of the car.

 

As if it had been triggered by Connor’s simple action of taking his favorite object between his fingers, the door to Chief Fowler’s office opened, and Connor froze for a second when he saw the man walking towards him.

 

He couldn’t help the small tremble that went through his fingers as he put his coin back into his pocket, gulping nervously.

 

Connor felt small as he stared up at what would be his boss from now on, hastily standing up when the other man motion for Connor to follow him into his office, greeting both him and Hank with a small nod.

 

For some reason he felt as if he was in High School all over again, sitting in front of the principle and waiting for her to speak, this time however without Hank and the social worker.

 

The loud thud of something dropping onto the desk in front of him made Connor flinch and snapped him out of his thoughts.

 

“Your badge. Plate. Firearm. Terminal can be accessed with your full name as a username, no spaces between the two, both capitalized. Password is your birthday right now, please change that as soon as you log in for the first time, security reasons. After that you can go and register your fingerprints, makes it a lot easier.

Any questions so far?”

 

Reaching out for the items on the desk, _his items!_ , he looked at Chief Fowler’s nose to fake eye contact.

 

“No, I think I understood.”

 

Fowler seemed to be happy with that answer as he didn’t complain, waiting a few seconds before he went on.

 

“Hank’s got no partner but due to your familial ties I can’t have you two working together, I’m sorry.

 

I don’t think it’d be a good idea to let you work on your own, seeing as you have no field experience and none of my other Detectives is without a partner for the time being.”

 

Despite the fact that he had already suspected that he wouldn’t be allowed to partner up with his adoptive father, the words still sent a pang of anxiousness through his stomach, and Connor leaned a tiny bit forward in nervous anticipation of what his boss would say next.

 

“Until either someone is without a partner, and I hope by God it’s because someone transfers or retires, you’ll be working alongside one of our police assistant androids.”

 

Connor perked up at that.

 

“I’ll probably regret this later at some point, but I think for the time being you’re best off working with GV200. It’s been with the station for nearly ten years now, got tons of experience.

 

Might be a bit glitchy and whatnot because it’s so old, but I think you can make it work. If it misbehaves too badly, don’t hesitate to report back to me, got it?”

 

For a moment, he felt as if he had lost his ability to speak, processing the information he had just received. Niles would be absolutely delighted at this.

 

“I… understand. Thank you, Chief Fowler,” Connor finally managed to get out, his stomach still doing flips, eyes still trained on the other man’s nose. Should he look away by now? Was that too much feigned eye contact? Still too little? Unsure what to do, Connor kept staring ahead, hoping it would be the right decision.

 

“Any questions?”

 

“No, Chief,” Connor answered, biting his lip. Should he get up? Look away?

 

“Alright, you’re dismissed. I’ve sent a message to the android instructing it that it will be working from now on, so expect it to turn up at your desk soon.”

 

“Thank you, Chief,” Connor answered, finally tearing his eyes away from Fowler’s face and feeling a sense of relief rushing through him immediately.

 

As he opened the door, arms still full of the items he had picked up from his boss’s desk, he heard Fowler call out to him from behind.

 

“Connor? Drop that staring shit. You don’t need to force yourself to make eye contact, it’s alright.”

 

A small smile stole its way on Connor’s lips, thankful for the Chief’s understanding, thanking him once more before he stepped out into the bullpen again.

 

The door closed with a quiet thud, but it seemed to be enough for Hank to lift his eyes up from his terminal and look towards Connor, expectant.

Connor let out a brief sigh from the relief of being able to leave the small space of the glass office and walked over to Hank’s desk, to _his_ desk, passing by the GV200.

 

His steps slowed down just a bit, eyes scanning the android’s form for a few seconds, waiting for another reaction, similar to the little head turn he swore he had seen earlier before shaking his own head and finally getting back to his desk.

 

Placing everything he had been holding on the smooth, white surface in front of him, he sat down and proceeded to slowly put the gun in the drawer and attach the badge to his jeans, at his right hip.

 

The plate went up on his desk, proudly declaring it his. “Dt. Anderson” was written on it in capital letters, and the sight filled Connor with pride.

“And? What did Jeffrey say to ya?” Hank asked.

 

Connor’s head shot up, barely looking at his adoptive father. He knew Hank didn’t mind, it was oftentimes the closest he got to Connor actually looking at someone in the eyes.

 

“Besides handing over my badge, gun, and plate he explained to me how to access the terminal.” He hesitated for a moment, even though he wasn’t sure why.

 

“He also told me I wouldn’t be able to be partnered with you, and that I will be working with the GV200 police assistance android until one of the other Detectives retires or transfers and someone is without a partner.”

 

For a few seconds Hank stared at him in silence before he burst out in laughter, hand over his eyes and head thrown back.

 

“That’s a joke, isn’t it? You working with fucking Gavin? God, Fowler’s gotta be kidding.”

 

Snapping his head around to get a quick glance at the android, Connor turned back to Hank, clearly puzzled.

 

“Well, I don’t know if Jeffrey told you, but the ‘droid’s a fucking asshole, didn’t even know they actually programmed them to have such a shitty personality.

 

I remember it being a lot more pleasant, but that’s been almost ten years ago and I think ever since, the fucker broke one time too often and damaged whatever social protocol he had.”

 

“You called… the android ‘Gavin’,” Connor said, completely ignoring Hank’s little speech about GV200’s personality.

 

“Who gave him that name?”

 

“I don’t know, probably Chris or Tina. They worked with it a few times, probably the only ones so far who could tolerate it. It does what it was made for, but I think I know why they stopped producing the model.”

 

“Well, I think I’ll have to be the third person then.” There was determination in his voice, and something told Hank that no matter what he said he wouldn’t be able to change the other’s mind.

 

“Huh, alright, son. Just try and not take it personally when it’s being a little bitch to you, that’s just how it seems to work, heaven knows why.”

Connor grinned, torso slightly swinging back and forth in excitement. He loved a good challenge.

 

When Hank didn’t say anything to follow it up and only lightly shook his head, Connor turned his attention back to his own desk, starting up the terminal for the first time, logging in and changing his password.

 

Enabling the fingerprint scanner proved itself to be a bit more tedious, as he spent the next few minutes scanning each and every one of his fingers into the terminal, ignoring the recommendation to use his thumbs and maybe index fingers, just to be safe. You never knew.

 

Just as Connor finished up his task, someone touched his shoulder.

 

He flinched away from the sudden and unexpected touch from someone he didn’t even know, breathing quickening for a few moments.

 

“Fucking hell, meatsack, I’m not gonna kill you. You’re supposed to be working with me.”

 

Connor turned around and before he had the chance to say anything, a hand slammed itself onto his desk.

 

“Listen here, I don’t want to work with you. You’re new, I got that much, so don’t get in my fucking way. I’ve sent you the report about the case I’m currently on, now stay out of my fucking sight, got it, dipshit?”

  
Without saying another word the android left, leaving Connor absolutely confused. _What the hell had that been?_


	2. Chapter 2

Connor kept staring after the android for a moment, utterly confused at what had just happened.

 

He had met androids before, most of them docile and overly polite. Granted, all his encounters before had been brief and had mostly been him simply observing a household model and the gardeners in the park, any other experience with them stemming from listening to Niles talk about the newest project he was allowed to work on.

 

“See, that’s what I meant. No one knows what’s up with it, ‘s just a total fucking bitch to everyone. You sure you don’t want to request working with someone else?”

 

Hank’s voice caused Connor to turn around in his swivel chair, contemplating for a moment.

 

“It certainly seems… challenging to work with such a strange android, but I think it could be very interesting.”

 

Connor saw Hank nod in his peripheral vision, Connor’s attention already focused on his terminal to look for the file the GV200 had sent him.

 

“Alright, son, I trust your decision. But if it’s being a fucking asshole to you I’m sure we can figure something out.” With that, Hank’s eyes found their way back to his own terminal, needing to work on one of his own cases.

 

A light smile made its way onto Connor’s lips. “Thank you, but I don’t think that will be necessary.”

 

“Whatever you say, son,” Hank grumbled good-naturedly, rapidly swiping through the files on the interface in front of him, letting out a string of curses every now and again.

 

Chuckling, the younger of the two finally opened the case file he had been sent, navigating around the terminal with the natural ease of someone who had actually grown up with the modern-day technology they were using nowadays.

 

The case the android had been working on seemed to be a string of robberies, theft of property with a value of over $2000 taken in some cases, androids, especially older models, being stolen from their owners alongside other valuables in the dead of the night; the latest breaking and entering related to the case had been called in about two weeks ago.

 

Very little evidence had been found at the previous locations, no fingerprints or DNA, no one had witnessed anyone breaking in, most of them having been out or on vacation at the time someone broke into their homes, which meant whoever was responsible was very careful.

 

The GV200 was suggesting that the perpetrator was most likely a group instead of one single person, seeing as not only getting access to the houses and apartments but also subduing the androids before they could call the police or notify anyone as well as then getting the domestic models out and inside some sort of vehicle would require at least two if not more people.

 

In addition, the fact that each crime took place when the victims hadn’t been at home strongly led the android, and Connor couldn’t help but agree, to believe that there had to have been some form of previous knowledge about the owners’ plans and schedule as well as the security systems since even those who had such a system had reported the crime to the police themselves instead of the smart home system sending out an alarm.

 

None of the victims had anything in common, all from different parts of the city, different amounts of income per year, different ages and ethnicities, some married with kids, some living with a partner only and some living alone. None of them had known each other in any way, no connection between any of them except the fact that all of them had experienced a breaking and entering since May this year, and all of them had had their somewhat older android model stolen.

 

Connor let out a sigh. So this was going to be his very first case, together with an old police android that immediately had seemed to take a dislike to him, a case with barely any evidence and little to no connection between the individual occurrences except for the nature of the crime itself.

 

Reading through the file a second and a third time, trying to memorize every little detail as well as he possibly could, he leaned forward in his chair, eyes glued to the terminal.

 

A small “ping” tore him out of his concentration, and Connor couldn’t help but grumble slightly. A message, followed by an address, had popped up on the interface in front of him, and Connor immediately knew who it was from.

 

_ Get your ass up, leather bastard, we’re going to a crime scene. – g _

 

The letters on his screen glared at him, Connor glaring back in annoyance for a second before turning around to find the android standing at the door that led to the waiting area, the stiff pose he had been standing in while in the docking station long gone, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, impatiently tapping his foot on the floor.

 

“You coming or what?! Get a fucking move on, prick!” he shouted across the bullpen, but to Connor’s surprise no one seemed to take an issue with the fact that not only was the android yelling at someone but also using cuss words and insults.

 

He sighed and got to his feet, putting his terminal into standby and carefully taking his gun out of the drawer next to him.

 

“I guess I’ll get going then,” he told his adoptive father, waiting for him to look up from his terminal or respond in any way.

 

“Alright, son, take care.” Hank gave him a little wave and what Connor guessed was supposed to be an encouraging smile.

 

Connor waved back before turning around and making his way towards the android still waiting at the door, seemingly growing more impatient by the minute.

 

“Done chatting?” he grumbled.

 

“Yes, I just- “

 

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care. Now move, dipshit, I don’t have all day.”

 

“Well, technically speaking, you do,” Connor answered.

 

“You’re such a fucking smartass, aren’t you?”

 

The young man paled. That had been the wrong thing to say apparently. He should have known that the android wouldn’t appreciate being reminded that he didn’t really have anything else to do other than his work.

 

Or should he? Androids typically didn’t want things or became upset or angry; he hadn’t heard of any androids acting this way. But then he also had never encountered one that swore and insulted the humans they were supposed to be working with.

 

“Ugh, what the fuck are you waiting for now, get your ass out there, fucking hell.”

 

An angry voice brought him back to reality and Connor decided that for now it was best to follow the android outside.

 

Once in front of the precinct both of them came to a halt again, the GV200 staring at Connor intently, appearing to wait for something.

“So?” he asked.

 

“What?” Connor responded, confused.

 

The android groaned. “Your fucking car. Do you think we’re walking there?”

 

“I… I came in with Ha- with Lieutenant Anderson today. But I’m pretty sure he’ll need the car at some point, I assumed -” Well, what did he assume? That the android had a car? No, certainly not. He watched with curiosity as Gavin’s LED turned from a calm blue to yellow, the android’s hand wandering up to his face and pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

 

“Goddammit, skin bag, I know you’re new here but fucking hell. Can’t do anything without your old man, huh? Just… Just fucking wait here, I’ll get us a car. Don’t move a fucking inch, got it?”

 

Connor averted his eyes as he noticed Gavin’s gray ones searching for his, turning his head away from the other until he heard an exasperated huff, not wanting to admit that the android’s words had stung.

 

He knew he preferred staying close to someone he knew and trusted, despite the occasional jealousy over the fact that his younger twin brother had already moved out and was living on his own, working for the biggest company there was for a few months now.

 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t able to do things on his own, he knew it, but the insinuation had still hurt.

 

He felt somewhat restless, just standing outside, feeling the urge to at least pace back and forth on the mostly empty parking lot or fiddle with his coin. But to do that, he would have to move, and the android’s instructions had been crystal clear.

 

His inclination to follow the rules, even if they had been made up by a rude GV200, was battling with his urge to move and his restlessness, "His breathing quickened just a bit."

 

To his relief the android returned only two minutes after he had left, dangling a pair of keys between his fingers.

 

“Got Tina’s keys, ‘s automatic car so we won’t have to drive ourselves. She’ll be using one of the patrol cars all day so she agreed to let us borrow it.

 

You – wait,” he interrupted himself and he stared at Connor with a weird mixture of amusement and disbelief.

 

“You haven’t moved at all since I left, what the fuck, dude.”

 

“I was just following your instructions, was that wrong?” Connor asked, perplexed.

 

“No, just… that wasn’t meant to be taken literally, dipshit.”

 

“Oh.” Connor couldn’t help the look of disappointment that crept onto his face, suddenly feeling stupid.

 

“Yeah, whatever, stop with those fucking puppy eyes, dipshit. As I was saying, you’ll have to sit in the driver’s seat, since I’m, y’know.” He gestured to his LED, smiling without humor.

 

“So, let’s fucking go.” He took another look at Connor and motioned the other to follow him with a swift movement of his hand, walking towards a white car not far from the entrance.

 

Connor watched Gavin open the passenger’s door and get in the car, taking it as a sign for him to do the same on the other side of the vehicle.

As soon as both of them were seated, Gavin looked at him expectantly.

 

“Turn on the fucking car engine, what the hell are you waiting for, and put in the address, it’s -”

 

“28 Constitution street, 4203 North Corktown, Detroit. I know. I did read the case file. And I was just about to start the car.” The answer came out sharper than intended.

 

“Fucking smartass,” Gavin grumbled next to him, turning his head away. If Connor had been looking at the android, he would have seen the slight tinge of blue on Gavin’s cheeks from both annoyance and embarrassment.

 

They sat in silence as Connor entered their destination into the control pad of the car and started the motor, setting the vehicle to automatic.

 

He knew how to drive manually; Hank had insisted on teaching both him and Niles as soon as the twins had turned 16, saying that even if most cars were automatic these days being able to operate one yourself was always a useful skill. Admittedly, he had said it with a lot more swear words and jabs against automation, but the overall message remained the same.

 

For now, however, Connor was perfectly content with leaning back into the driver’s seat, eyes still locked onto the street to see where exactly they were going, closely observing his environment as he took his coin out of his pocket and began throwing it from one hand to another, flicking it up in the air or moving it between his fingers, all without glancing down.

 

A soft “what the fuck” caused him to jerk his head to the side, almost dropping his coin.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

 

“That shit with the coin. How the hell are you even doing that? You’re not even fucking looking.”

 

“I- I don’t know. I’ve just practiced a lot I guess.”

 

“Practiced a lot, my fucking ass. Alright, whatever,” Gavin muttered, LED cycling yellow for a moment before returning to blue.

 

Supposing that the conversation was over, Connor turned his attention back towards the road, watching as their environment slowly changed from the fairly clean and modern area the DPD was located in to what Connor already knew to be more of a low-income neighborhood.

 

“This is unusual, isn’t it?” he noted. “The neighborhood. All of the previous break-ins have been committed against middle to upper class families and citizens.”

 

“Right, and what does this tell you, Sherlock?”

 

Connor furrowed his brows. How would an android know either the expression or the literary figure, or both? There were companion androids specifically designed with such knowledge so they would feel more human to their potential partners, but an old police assistant android?

 

“What, too shy to share it with me now?” A cocky smile had formed on Gavin’s lips as he teased the human next to him.

 

Connor simply shook his head, probably a bit too much by regular standards, eyes still trained on the traffic in front of them, seeing Gavin only in his peripheral vision.

 

“No, I was just thinking. I believe this means that the perpetrators are either broadening their target group or they’re now settling for less because the demand is high.”

 

“Demand?”

 

“Yes. I believe that whoever is behind these crimes is not just stealing both androids and other material possessions for personal use but is probably reselling them.”

 

“But if they just fucking resold them, wouldn’t some androids have turned up again somewhere, identified by a shitty ass security camera or some bullshit?”

 

The amount of cursing littered throughout the android’s sentence brought a small smile to Connor’s lips, even if he tried to suppress it. It reminded him of his father, and not for the first time he wondered if that was where the GV200 had picked up all these.

 

“I agree. Which is why I think they might be reselling individual parts, not the whole android. Parts for older models like these are in high demand, old enough to malfunction in smaller ways and for them to no longer be supported by CyberLife, but not old enough yet that they need to be completely thrown out and replaced since most of them still function overall.

 

CyberLife has stopped producing parts and replacement biocomponents for most models manufactured before 2032 by now, so private sellers often demand a lot for spare parts when one of their own models breaks.” Connor concluded his theory, coin still between his fingers, waiting for Gavin’s reaction.

 

“How the hell do you know so much about that shit?!” the android hissed in reply.

 

“My brother works for CyberLife.”

 

“And you still remember all that?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Both of them went quiet again for a few seconds before Gavin started to talk.

 

“Alright, so I think there might be something to that. It’s better than what we had before, which was fucking nothing. But we gotta prove your little theory somehow.”

 

“There are a few websites specifically made to buy and resell components you don’t need anymore. We can see if any of the recent offers match with one of the stolen androids when we’re back at the station.”

 

A huff was the only thing he got in response, and Connor wasn’t sure whether Gavin was agreeing or not, but he decided not to dwell on it. They could discuss this after they were finished with the crime scene, he thought, silence settling over the two of them as the car drove on, Connor noticing that they would be at their destination in less than five minutes.

 

The car came to a halt in front of an old, rather run-down looking house. A man in police uniform, whom Connor assumed to be the first officer to have responded, stood in the driveway, seemingly waiting for the two of them.

 

Gavin and Connor stepped out of the car and walked up to the man the latter could now identify as Police Officer Brown.

 

“Wilson already questioned the victims, I was just waiting for you to arrive so we can get back to patrol again. We called the precinct as soon as we realized this might be related to something bigger.” He gave Connor a once-over.

 

“You’re Anderson’s kid, aren’t you?” Officer Brown smiled at him, completely ignoring Gavin.

 

“Well, the family android, an old AV200, disappeared last night; they had been visiting family and only came back this morning. Immediately called the police, nothing else seems to be missing since they didn’t have a lot of valuables in the house.

 

He’s with you, I assume?” he asked, pointing his thumb at Gavin.

“No, the prick is with  _ me _ , not the other way ‘round,” the android interjected. “Now can you let us get in there and investigate this fucking crime scene?”

 

Officer Brown shrugged.

 

“Sure. I think I’ve told you all we know so far, maybe you guys will be able to find something more.” With a last smile directed at Connor he left.

Before the young man could do anything or suggest going inside, a hand grabbed his tie and pulled him down, a threatening look on the android’s face.

 

“Listen here, dipshit. I don’t give a fuck that it’s officially me who’s assisting  _ you _ , but when we’re in there, this whole shitshow is my investigation, got it, meat bag?”  

 

Connor swallowed the lump that had built up in his throat, trying to avoid the other’s piercing gray eyes.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good.” The android released his tie from his hold, and Connor couldn’t help but wonder why Gavin behaved in such an unusual way.

 

Still unsure what to make of all of this, he trailed behind the other as the android was already walking up to the front door, opening it with ease.

The family had been told to expect them, it seemed.

 

“I’m Gavin, and this is my… my partner, Detective Anderson. We’re here to investigate the break-in that occurred last night.”

 

“They’re sending a fucking android for that? Well, tough luck, buddy, maybe you’ll be the next one,” the man spoke up, glaring at Gavin, who in turn just shrugged his shoulders, showing that he didn’t care about what the man had just told him, but Connor could see his LED turn yellow for a split second.

 

He had to admit that it was pretty useful.

 

“I believe you’ve been questioned by Officer Wilson already?” Connor asked.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Told him everything we knew. There’s a window broken upstairs so that’s probably what you guys should check out first.” He seemed more cooperative when Connor addressed him, and the Detective simply nodded and thanked him before motioning for Gavin to head towards the stairs first.

 

The bathroom was a mess, shards of glass lying everywhere, various shampoo bottles, soap and toothbrushes as well as other hygiene products on the floor.

 

“Looks like someone went out fighting.” Gavin grinned.

 

Connor couldn’t help but agree. “Shouldn’t there be any traces of blood here if there had been a quarrel?”

 

“Oh, there are.” The android’s grin turned into a smirk as he knelt down.

“You leather bastards just can’t see them.” And with that, he swiped his index finger across the dirty floor, his tongue darting out and licking along the inside of his finger, LED rapidly cycling yellow.

 

When the android looked up he found Connor staring at him.

 

“What? You’re not gonna tell me how disgusting this shit is?” Gavin was still grinning, hoping to get a funny reaction out of Connor.

 

To his surprise, Connor’s face flushed red as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t, and the human shook his head.

 

“No, it’s… it’s fascinating. I’ve never heard of any android doing that. I’m guessing you’re analyzing the chemical composition of the blood. It was blood you found on the floor, right?”

 

Gavin nodded, perplexed. “Yeah, blue blood. Thi-”

 

“Thirium 310. It evaporates after a few hours, but I’m guessing this means you can still see it. Does it have a taste?” Connor regarded him with big, curious, deep brown eyes and Gavin noticed that this was the first time Connor had actually looked at him, not at his LED or right past him.

 

He felt his thirium pump regulator skip a beat, before fully processing Connor’s question. What the fuck?

 

“If it does-” Before Gavin even had time to think of an answer Connor continued speaking. “Does it taste differently than human blood? What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever analyzed?”

 

“What the hell? Why are you asking me what blue blood tastes like?!”

 

Connor’s eyes darted away from him, seemingly unsure now. “I was… I was curious?”

 

“You don’t just go around asking people shit like that, fucking prick.”

“I –”

 

“Nope, nope, not doing this. Just start looking around and see if you find anything useful, the Thirium on the floor belongs to an AV200, but that’s it. No other blood, blue or red, so the android was the only one who got hurt.”

 

Connor had already turned away, looking around the bathroom for anything else that might be useful.

 

There were obvious signs of a struggle, bottles lying on the floor; the way the glass shards had fallen, however, suggested that the window hadn’t broken during the fight, but had been broken from the outside.

 

According to Gavin, there had been no traces of blood, fingerprints, or any bodily fluids on the shards, much to their dismay.

 

Poking his head outside the broken window, Connor could see that a trash can was standing right below the window, probably having been used to climb up on to have a better reach.

 

The house didn’t have an alarm system, which was probably why the window had simply been smashed in.

 

“Hey, Gavin”, he called out, head still stretched outside the window. Saying the android’s name felt pleasant on his tongue, and he had to bite back the urge to just repeat it over and over again. For a moment, he both wanted to thank and strangle the person who chose it.

 

“What the fuck do you want?” the other replied, annoyed.

 

“Can you see any Thirium leading outside from the window?” He stepped back, allowing Gavin better access to the opening.

 

“Yeah. Looks like her body was dragged outside the window and towards the road, probably inside a fucking car or some shit,” he stated, stepping back and looking at Connor.

 

“So,  _ Detective _ , what’s your theory so far?” Gavin asked, cocking up one of his eyebrows.

 

“I think it was at least two people. They positioned the trash can outside, under the window. One of them climbed up and smashed it in.

The sound alerted the android who was alone at home at the time. She was an older model so she needed a manual order to call the police if there weren’t any humans in acute danger.

 

She went inside the bathroom and was… attacked by one of the perpetrators, and got damaged during the fight. They eventually subdued her and lifted her out of the window, the second perp standing on the can and moving her down.

 

They probably carried her towards their car, and since it was late at night and the street lights shut off at around 2 a.m., in this area the chances that any of the neighbors had seen the model or brand, much less the license plate, is very slim.

 

They dragged her into their vehicle and drove off,” Connor concluded, pretty satisfied with his explanation. Gavin looked almost impressed for a few seconds, before he spoke again.

 

“So that means we have approximately nothing new? No new lead or hint towards a motive?”

 

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what this means,” Connor answered.

This was going to be one hell of a first case.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I really loved writing this chapter so much. Thank you to the wonderful Fitzcaraldo once again for editing this for me, where would I be without her? lol

“ -and then he just licked the blue blood from his fingers! Blue blood I couldn’t even see anymore, and he could immediately tell- ”

 

“Connor, for fuck’s sake! We’re eating! That’s disgusting!” Hank interrupted him, stabbing his chicken breast with his fork, glaring at his son.

 

“Do you think so? I think it’s completely fascinating. Did you know that the feature was discontinued immediately after the first models of the GV200 line because police officers found it disturbing?” Connor explained, eyes lit up in excitement.

 

“I would’ve never thought,” Hank grumbled, and Connor looked at him, smile falling a bit and turning into a more confused expression.

 

“But didn’t you just say it’s- Oh!” he exclaimed, seemingly content with himself for catching on without further explanation.

 

“Well, anyways, that means that Gavin must be a very old model, one of the first police assistant androids manufactured if he still has it. How is he still in working order? Most known GV200, and even the follow-up model RV400, have been replaced due to heavy malfunctions by now or simply traded in for a newer, more efficient model.”

 

Ketchup flew through the air as Connor waved around his fork animatedly while he spoke, making huge gestures as he talked.

 

“Dammit, Connor, be careful son!” Hank chastised him, watching as Sumo waddled over to the red liquid on the floor, quickly shooing the dog away so he wouldn’t lick it.

 

“I’m sorry!” the younger one yelped, grinning as he looked at the large St. Bernard now sitting at Hank’s feet. Sumo had been with them for about seven years now, a welcome addition to their household around the twin’s fifteenth birthday.

 

“Gavin seemed to be very… confused by my questions however, do you think I made him uncomfortable?” he continued, the excitement slowly leaving his face.

 

Taken aback for a moment Hank could only stare at his son. What questions? Why would an android be uncomfortable?

“What do you mean? What did ya fucking ask it?”

 

“I asked him if human blood and Thirium tasted differently. And what the strangest thing he had ever analyzed was,” Connor admitted, a lot less energy and enthusiasm in his voice now, seemingly having realized that those had not been the most appropriate questions.

 

Hank couldn’t suppress the bark of laughter that escaped him upon hearing that his son managed to weird out an android whose very feature was discontinued because it disturbed police officers.

 

“Son, that’s… that’s pretty fucking great. Dammit, I wish I could’ve seen its face.” He grinned, expression turning serious again a few seconds later.

“Jokes aside, don’t worry about it too much. Gavin’s probably not even capable of really being uncomfortable, it’s still just an android.”

 

“I… I’m not really sure about that,” Connor said cautiously, watching Sumo as the dog stood up and trailed over to his own bowl of food.

“I’ve never seen an android behave like that.”

 

“You mean all the fucking swearing and its rudeness, right? Well, the thing’s old. Been broken a lot, getting it repaired has been hell, but most of the officers seem to be attached to it for some reason or another, I just think it’s really fucking annoying.

 

Even got a bunch of what looks like scars all over its face, heaven knows why its skin hasn’t properly healed. Whatever happened along the way, at some point I’m guessing its social protocol just fucked up and now we’re left dealing with what’s probably the most unpleasant android ever.”

 

“Do you think he might be… what did Niles call it? Deviant? You know, those accounts of androids suddenly disobeying their owners and sometimes even attacking them? There hasn’t been a lot so far according to him but do you think it might be possible?” Connor contemplated, twirling his fork between his fingers.

 

Giving the idea some thought, Hank eventually shook his head.

“Nah, son, I don’t think so. I’ve read a few of those case files and in each and every one of them the deviant android turned violent because of some shit. Gavin’s behaving pretty normally, it does what it’s supposed to do, it’s just a bitch.”

 

“I suppose you’re right,” Connor relented, sighing but ultimately smiling.

“Of course I am!” Hank replied, the slight smile on his face betraying his grumbled tone.

 

Picking up another piece of chicken with his fork and dunking it into a gracious amount of ketchup Connor started speaking again.

 

“I think the reason for his facial scarring might be because regeneration of synthetic skin wasn’t as advanced yet when he was manufactured. So the skin didn’t heal as cleanly as those of androids nowadays does. I would have to look more into it or ask Niles, but I think it makes sense?

 

Did I tell you that he was able to see the evaporated Thirium? It’s fascinating.”

 

Hank shook his head. “Alright, son, can we please change the subject for now? All this talk about android and blue blood is making me lose my fucking appetite and I’d like to eat something at least.”

 

“Of course! I’m sorry!” Connor apologized, turning his attention back to his own meal.

 

One of the positives of Niles having moved out already was that they didn’t have to cook so much at once. Niles had often gotten fed up with eating the same few things over and over again, wanting to experiment with their meals and what they would serve, while Connor preferred to stick to what he knew and was familiar with. It was comforting and safe that way, and he was glad Hank didn’t mind having chicken breast for the third time in a row seeing as the man himself wasn’t too adventurous either when it came to food choices.

 

He smiled for a brief moment before he brought the last piece of chicken to his mouth, lips never touching the meat or the fork but rather pulling it off with his teeth instead.

 

Putting the piece of cutlery down on his plate, neatly aligning it with the knife and positioning as close to the middle as possible he swallowed his last bite, content.

 

Connor stood up, grabbing his plate and after being asked to, Hank’s as well, storing them in the dishwasher. He sometimes did miss his twin’s presence, despite the fact that they had often disagreed and bickered.

 

Making a mental note to text Niles later and tell him all about his new work partner he made his way over to the couch, finding a comfortable position before pulling out the old e-book reader Hank had gifted him a few years ago. Maybe he could find some interesting books on robotics; maybe his brother still had some in his library, he thought, smiling.

 

Starting his second official day at the DPD felt a lot different from the first one. He knew what to expect, what to anticipate, how to behave. The nervousness that had felt all-encompassing yesterday had faded away during the past day, barely a hint of it present at the moment.

 

Connor was seated in the passenger seat of Hank’s car, the two of them going to work together again. It made Connor happy to see his adoptive father actually getting up earlier, having a proper breakfast and getting to work somewhat on time, even if he suspected that it was mostly because of him. But as long as the end result was positive, it didn’t matter too much.

 

The coin which had been in his possession ever since he could remember was flicked from one hand to another, a smile dancing across his lips as the small piece of metal made its way across his knuckles and between his fingers in an intricate coin trick, one he had been practicing for years on end. He had tried to teach Hank and Niles one or two things a few times over the years, but none of them had been exactly interested or talented at it the way Connor was. Not that he minded, despite the fact that he liked to share his passions with his family, sometimes too much so, he was also happy to have something just to himself.

 

As they pulled up to the precinct parking lot Connor couldn’t help the feeling of excitement and anticipation rushing through him, torso slightly swinging back and forth before the car came to a halt and he had to put his coin away and step outside, the cool October air biting his skin. Part of him regretted not wearing a thicker jacket; the coat he had grabbed when leaving the house was much too thin over his white button up and he couldn’t wait to get inside, pulling down the beanie he was wearing over his ears, shifting it around until it sat comfortably despite the fact that he’d be taking it off in a minute.

 

The best portion of his evening had been spent looking into some of Niles’ old e-books on androids after his brother had texted him the password to his account, curious as to Connor’s sudden interest when he had mostly been indifferent towards robotics before.

 

The older twin had felt self-conscious all of the sudden, face slightly flushed and happy he was only texting his brother and not talking to him on the phone or even worse, face to face.

 

In the end, he had simply explained his newfound curiosity with the fact that he would be closely working with an old police android from now on and preferred to know what exactly he was going to work with, something Niles had not just accepted as an explanation but had also offered some suggestions regarding possible helpful books and manuals for.

 

Connor had happily thanked his brother and had spent the rest of the evening curled up on the sofa, Sumo next to him, reading up on everything he could find regarding the GV200 line.

 

According to the magazines and papers he had read only a few had been produced, each of them with different faces since they were all test models and given out to various police departments, the DPD being one of them.

 

The line had been discontinued shortly after their release, their successor model, the RV400, starting production and distribution in 2030, the GV200 line officially abandoned in 2031.

 

There hadn’t been a lot of information, much to Connor’s dismay, mostly numbers about production and cost, the GV200 model often only mentioned in passing in articles and entries about current police assistant androids.

 

He had read about the chemical analyzing system most of the models had been built with, including figures and numbers about the amount and sensitivity of the sensors, as well as a detailed explanation for the reason why the use of said system had been discontinued.

 

There hadn’t been nearly enough information for Connor to feel satisfied, but he still had multiple articles and books that mentioned the model left and maybe he could ask Gavin himself, even though he wasn’t sure of the probability of success regarding that approach.

 

Warm air engulfed him and Hank as the automatic doors to the precinct slid open and the two of them stepped inside, both more than content to finally escape the cold outside. At least it hadn’t snowed yet.

 

The receptionist greeted them, an ST300 from the second generation of androids, appearing as a young, pretty woman with a friendly face.

 

Both Hank and Connor reciprocated her “good morning” as they walked past her and the waiting area and straight into the bullpen.

 

To Connor’s surprise Gavin was sitting  _ on _ his desk, fiddling with a pen and looking as impatient as ever.

 

He took off his coat and beanie, hanging them both over his arm as he made his way towards his desk. Draping the coat over his chair and stuffing the hat into one of its pockets he started up his terminal, waiting for Gavin to speak up.

 

Silence settled on them even as Hank’s swivel chair groaned under the sudden weight of Hank dropping himself onto it, the small beeping noises from both terminals appearing louder than they should have.

 

“Early two days in a row? I’m surprised, old man.” Gavin smirked, turning his head towards Hank. Like this, Connor had a perfect view of the android’s LED, cycling a calm blue.

 

“Oh, fuck off Gavin. What the hell are you doing here anyways? Shouldn’t you be standing still in that little box of yours over there?” Hank asked, raising one eyebrow.

 

A small flash of jealousy ran through Connor at the sight. Raising up only one eyebrow had been something he had never been able to do but had always found incredibly expressive.

 

The shock of hearing a small laugh escape from the android’s mouth brought him back to reality, the sound somewhat strange but not unpleasant in his ears, like something that hadn’t been intended but happened naturally, a bit stiff, a little bit mechanical but beautiful nevertheless.

 

Connor couldn’t help but look up at the GV200 still sitting on the smooth, white surface of his desk, body turned so that he was looking at Hank and with that knowledge Connor felt comfortable enough to take a closer look at the android’s face, if only just for a moment.

 

The stubble of facial hair had confused him at first especially, wondering why someone would put such an unnecessary thing on an android. Reading up on the GV200 model had led him to the conclusion that part of it might have been for the intimidation factor during interviews, making the android appear harsher and more threatening.

 

Connor could imagine that the same was true for the permanent scowl the android seemed to have as well as the bags under his eyes. For an already nervous suspect all those things made it seem like Gavin was only seconds away from losing his patience with them.

 

The scars that littered his face hadn’t been part of that, though, as Connor had learned from Hank. Gavin had gotten damaged and repaired more than once during his years at the precinct and his research the previous evening had confirmed his theory about healing and restoration of synthetic skin being a lot less advanced at the time Gavin was most likely manufactured which had resulted in multiple scars across the android’s face, the most prominent one seated on the bridge of his nose.

 

For a brief moment Connor asked himself whether the scarring of synthetic skin felt different from the one on human skin, and if the android had more of them than just the facial ones.

 

Heat crept up in his cheeks at the thought and he quickly banished it as best as he could, blocking out the insults and jabs thrown back and forth between Hank and Gavin in favor of moving his eyes up to Gavin’s gray ones.

 

Something about them fascinated him, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away again. It was… strange to say the least, the fact that he usually despised looking into other people’s eyes if they weren’t extremely close to him contradicting his need to keep watching, keep taking in the exact color of the android’s storm gray eyes, wanting to figure out the specific shade they had used.

 

A sudden motion of Gavin’s head made Connor turn away, hoping that he hadn’t been caught staring. In his peripheral vision he noticed Hank getting up and leaving their desk area, coat draped over his arm.

 

“So, now that the  _ Lieutenant _ finally went back to do his own fucking work, how about we discuss our shitty ass case, meat sack?” Gavin snarled.

 

“I agree, Gavin, but I thought you had said we haven’t found anything new? I don’t know what’s there to discuss further,” Connor replied, a bit perplexed.

 

“Well, since you’re so cocky, maybe I just shouldn’t tell you that I fucking checked those reselling sites while you were at home doing god knows what,” the android huffed, clearly annoyed.

 

“Cocky?” Connor wondered, not for the first time wishing that he was able to lift just one eyebrow.

 

“Yeah, fucking cocky. Telling me there’s nothing to discuss as if you’re just trying to get rid of me, fucking prick.”

 

“Gavin, I apologize that you interpreted my response this way. I was merely expressing my confusion since I was under the impression that there hadn’t been any new development around the cases.” His eyes flickered up to Gavin’s LED, watching it cycle red at a rapid pace for a few seconds before it returned to a calm blue. The android let out a frustrated huff.

 

“Yeah, whatever. Anyways, I checked those fucking sites, and while there’s a tiny bit of overlap in the models it’s definitely not enough to be suspicious, all from different sellers and not correlating with the dates of the break-ins. Guess that theory went right down the fucking drain.”

 

“Who activated you this morning?” Connor interjected, the question suddenly popping up in his mind.

 

“What the hell?! Why the fuck are you asking that?! Did you even listen to what I fucking said, dipshit? Your pretty little theory seems to be wrong.” He stared down at the human in front of him in disbelief.

 

“It’s just that… Hank and I were one of the first ones to arrive and I am curious. And I understood perfectly well, but since I do not have any further evidence or theory myself at this moment I didn’t see a necessity to add onto your findings.” Yellow, blue, yellow, finally settling on blue again after the android punched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes while doing so.

 

Watching Gavin’s LED was strangely fascinating.

 

“Fucking hell, no one activated me. I don’t gotta be put into stasis, and out of it for that matter, manually, I can do that shit by myself. And you really don’t have another one of your smart little theories?” Gavin inquired.

 

“Unfortunately not. As much as it pains me to say it, I think we will have to wait for further clues to turn up as our previous theory proved itself to be wrong.

 

I find it very interesting that you don’t require someone to enter and especially leave stasis mode, most police assistant androids have to be activated manually since they are being kept at the respective precincts.” Connor could barely contain the burning curiosity that had built up inside of him.

 

“’s probably because I’m old or some shit.”

 

“Might be,” he began, thoughtful.

 

“However, Hank also told me that you experienced more than one account of being damaged. Maybe that has something to do with it?”

 

“Is that supposed to be a fucking insult?” The LED on the android’s temple turned red for a split second before it went back to yellow and Connor could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment and regret.

“No! Not at all. Merely a hypothesis.”

 

“Fuck you and your hypothesis. Why the hell are you calling your old man by his first name anyways?”

 

“I-” It was only fair that Gavin started prodding him and asking questions too after Connor had started it.

 

“I’m adopted. Me and my brother both, Hank took us in when we were eleven.” He turned his eyes away from the android, even just looking at the rapidly swirling LED felt uncomfortable.

 

“Ah, no wonder you two look nothing alike,” Gavin contemplated.

“Are you done asking questions now?” The annoyed tone in his voice was back, but Connor barely noticed it.

 

“Actually, no! If I’m correct, you are one of the first police androids distributed. How long have you been with the DPD? I know you have a chemical analyzer in your oral cavity but I couldn’t find anything on further unique functions to the GV200 model.

 

I know most of them have been destroyed and replaced or have simply gotten too damaged to continue working, and I am curious how you still seem to be working as you should after such a long time despite the outdated technology.

 

If I am correct your model must have been manufactured right before the American Android Act of 2029. Are there any additional features you have because you were manufactured before certain restrictions were put in place? Or maybe any missing features? Are your scars the result of-”

 

“Woah, woah, woah, slow the fuck down, meat sack. I barely understood half of that shit, why are you so interested in all that technical crap? I thought your brother was the android fucker,” Gavin interrupted him, clearly taken aback, and Connor only now noticed that while talking he had actually turned his eyes back towards the android and had looked at him the whole time.

 

He quickly glanced away before he spoke again.

 

“Well, I am sure my brother never had sexual intercourse with an android, and even if he did I wouldn’t know about it, you even less so.”

 

“Ugh, you know what I mean. Whatever. Why are you so interested in that shit?” The LED on Gavin’s temple was cycling a steady yellow and Connor couldn’t help but wish for it to go back to blue again, hoping he hadn’t made the android uncomfortable with his wall of questions.

Could androids feel uncomfortable?

 

Overcome with a sudden sense of restlessness he began swinging his torso back and forth ever so slightly as he searched his pocket for his coin, taking out the small piece of metal and letting it fly between his hands as he answered.

 

“I am simply interested. We will be working together from now on and I like to be prepared and know as much as possible about my environment and the people around me.” His voice sounded more confident than he felt.

 

“People? But- Okay, I think I get what you mean, dipshit.” There was no malice behind the insult and Connor felt relief wash through him when he saw Gavin’s LED return to blue, utterly fascinated by the slight tinge of blue that had crept onto the android’s face.

 

He hadn’t known androids were capable of blushing. Would the synthetic skin feel warm under his fingers if he swept them across Gavin’s blush? Would the synthetic skin feel different from human skin? He had never touched an android before. Niles probably knew more about the differences between android and human skin than he did and Connor made a mental note to ask his brother later.

 

He looked up at Gavin, meeting the android’s eyes for just a second.

This time, it wasn’t Connor that looked away first.

 

“Well, I- I’m not sure about everything, fucking hell. But I’m guessing the DPD is too cheap to pay for proper decommissioning and a new model, and since I’m still standing and not just fucking around they’re keeping me.” Gavin waved his hand dismissively.

 

“I guess the thing I got is that I’m able to- ”

 

“Detective Anderson!” A voice from behind them interrupted Gavin, and Connor couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

 

“Yes?” he answered, Officer Wilson quickly walking up to the two of them.

“There has been another break-in that fits your case.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long! In the future, updates will probably a bit slow since i started school again. But I hope you enjoy it, and as always, huge thank you to fitzcarraldo on here for editing for me <3

The crime scene didn’t appear to be any different from what had been described in previous records, no broken windows this time; no first responding officers were waiting for them either.

 

Located in a lower middle class part of Detroit, the one-story building certainly didn’t look as if it belonged to someone wealthy even if it wasn’t nearly as run-down as the crime scene the two of them had visited yesterday.

 

The calming, friendly color of the walls, white with a slight beige tinge, gave a stark contrast to the atmosphere surrounding the house, scared and lonely.

 

Not that it was unexpected after experiencing such a huge violation of one’s privacy and comfort, and Connor sincerely hoped that he would never have to experience losing the sense of security and safety that he always associated with his own home.

 

The strange thing however was the proximity of the two incidents.

Most other accounts had happened at least a few weeks apart, the shortest amount of time that had ever passed between two occurrences a little over a week.

 

Immediately Connor’s mind supplied him with two possible explanations: Either what they were supposed to investigate here didn’t have any correlation to their case, or the perpetrators were becoming reckless.

 

Whether it was because they had gotten away with their doings for such a long time now or because they were becoming desperate or impatient, he couldn’t tell.

 

“Are there any traces of Thirium outside?” Connor asked as the two of them left the car, having borrowed Tina’s vehicle again. He seriously needed to start coming to work with his own car instead of getting a ride from his adoptive father, just so they would have the means to get to their crime scenes without having to bug Officer Chen about it.

 

“Nope,” Gavin answered, eyes roaming around the house and front yard and eventually travelling towards the street, intently scanning, careful not to miss even the smallest detail or hint.

 

“We could check the back, but there’s nothing around the fucking street and I doubt it goes anywhere back there,” he suggested, mildly frustrated.

 

“Better to be safe than sorry,” Connor replied.

 

He motioned Gavin to follow him as they walked around the house towards the backside, trying to catch a glimpse inside each time they walked by a window. None of them were broken, he noticed.

 

There were no obvious signs of a struggle visible here, no shards of glass or kicked in doors. This time however, the backdoor was in possession of an alarm system.

 

“We could ask the owners for permission to access their security system,” Connor suggested. “It doesn’t look as if it’s very modern or up to date, but we might be able to find out when exactly the break-in occurred, provided the perps somehow disabled the alarm.”

 

“Yeah, ‘s a good idea,” Gavin admitted, almost begrudgingly.

 

The android moved closer to the backdoor. A quick inspection of the rather old-fashioned lock showed that it was still in perfect working order, a bit old perhaps, but not broken or picked.

 

Either the perpetrators had been in possession of a key, or they had entered the house some other way.

 

“Did we check the front door?” Connor asked, suddenly unsure.

“Check for what?” Gavin shot back, not looking at Connor but instead inspecting the back of the house for anything that might help them further their investigation.

 

“This door shows no signs of someone entering by force, but I’m not sure if the same is true for the main entrance,” he explained.

 

“Alright, skin bag, let’s go and take a look at that. Doesn’t look like we can find anything useful here anyways.” If Connor had said that he wasn’t surprised by Gavin’s agreement, it would have been a lie.

 

The two of them made their way back to the front porch in silence, each of them keeping a close eye on their environment, hoping to catch sight of something the other might have missed.

 

They walked up to the massive wooden door in the front and upon getting a closer look at it Connor could tell that the lock was heavily damaged. Eyes wandering around the front porch, he failed to notice anything that appeared to belong to the security system they had found in the back.

 

“And?” Gavin asked, impatient.

 

“This is most likely the way they entered. The keyhole looks like it has been picked,” Connor confirmed.

 

“No alarm or some bullshit here?”

 

“No.”

 

“Fuck, alright. Who is stupid enough to secure their back door but not the front one? Fucking leather bastards.”

 

Choosing to ignore Gavin’s annoyed ranting Connor lightly tapped his knuckles against the wooden door.

 

“Detroit Police Department, we’re here to investigate the breaking and entering that you called in today,” he called.

 

The door creaked slightly as it swung open, revealing a middle aged woman with her hair up in a messy bun.

 

“Can I see your badges?” she asked them with a nervous look on her face.

 

“Of course, Ma’am.” Connor smiled politely, eyes fixed on the tip of her nose as he pushed his coat aside to reveal the badge on his right hip.

“I’m Detective Anderson and this is my partner Gavin, would you mind answering a few questions for us?”

 

“No, not at all, I’m glad you were able to come here so quickly, I’m- I’m terribly – I – Oh, I’m sorry, gentlemen, would you like to come in?”

She stepped aside to let the two of them in and gestured to her living room.

 

“Please, make yourself at home. Is there anything I can bring you, Detectives?” she inquired.

 

Connor and Gavin sat down on the couch, next to each other and opposite of what Connor supposed was the owner of the house, and he couldn’t help but notice how she had referred to both of them as ‘Detectives’ even though Gavin was clearly an android.

 

“No, thank you, Ma’am,” he replied.

 

“So, Aleah Suhani, age forty-six, divorced, no children, is that correct?” Gavin spoke up, and Connor was almost surprised at the professionalism in his voice. But then again, it shouldn’t really have been that unexpected that a police assistance android, specifically manufactured and designed for this line of work, was also programmed with a certain social protocol when talking to victims and witnesses.

 

The woman in front of them nodded, confirming Gavin’s information.

Some things were really easier when one was an android, Connor thought. He hadn’t had the time to check his terminal for all the necessary information before they drove off, Gavin assuring him that it wasn’t necessary and that the android could just look through the protocol of the call while they were in the car.

 

“When did you notice that someone must have broken into your home?” Gavin continued.

 

“I- I came home just half an hour or so and- and I immediately noticed Thea – Thea is my android, she’s a VX400, one of the first household assistant models, she was a gift from my sister – A-anyways, when I came home half an hour ago she didn’t greet me as usually and I was- I was worried and I looked through the whole house and- and I couldn’t find her anywhere. Thea would never just wander off on her own, she’s not like that, I tried to call her but the line was dead and – I immediately called the police afterwards and they told me they would send two Detectives, do – do you think something happened to her?”

 

Tears had started dwelling up in her eyes. Connor reached forward to the coffee table and offered her the tissue box that had been standing there, hoping that being able to dry her tears a bit would help the woman.

“Do you want to take a break?” he asked. “We can resume later.”

 

“No, no it’s okay. I’m just w-worried. Thea is fairly old, she needs regular maintenance but she’s very dear to me. My family has suggested getting a newer model more than once but- but it’s not even just that I don’t have the money but I don’t want to just go and replace Thea like she’s some sort of toy, she’s been with me for so many years n-now, all throughout my divorce and-” She sounded as if she was stifling a sob, grabbing another paper tissue.

 

“Are you sure you want to continue right now?”

 

“Yes, yes, I want to do everything that I can so you can find her, I’m just so scared that something bad happened to her.”

 

“That’s understandable, Ma’am. Was anything else stolen, besides your android?”

 

“Stolen?! Thea wasn’t stolen, she was _kidnapped_!”

 

The anger in her voice made Connor swallow, not having anticipated the sudden outburst. In his peripheral vision he could see Gavin’s LED cycling rapidly, even though it remained a calm blue.

 

“I apologize, Ms. Suhani. But we need to know if anything else was missing when you came home.” He tried to make his voice calming and soft even though he had no idea if he actually succeeded with that.

 

“I- I don’t know!” she exclaimed, shoulders slumping forward as she buried her face in her palms, rubbing her eyes before she went on. “I- I was so worried that I called the police immediately, I- I didn’t really check if someone stole anything, I just kept looking for Thea, I’m so- so scared something bad happened to her.” She blew her nose into one of the tissues she had been holding in her hand, a shudder running through her body.

 

“Ma’am, are you sure you’re okay?” There was concern in Gavin’s voice, and Connor couldn’t help but notice how much his behavior differed from everything he had seen from the android before, even when they had been talking to the victims of the last break-in the previous day.

 

“No, no of course I’m not okay!” she almost yelled before sinking back into the couch, tears now freely flowing.

 

“I- I’m sorry I’m just- I’m so scared, Thea was- is, is, I refuse to believe she’s gone, maybe this is all just- just some cruel trick of the universe, maybe it’s just – maybe she’s fine, you know? But Thea has always been like a daughter to me, even if most people don’t understand, and I just want her to be okay.” Her shoulders were trembling as she looked back up at Connor and Gavin.

 

“Please, please promise me you’ll do your best to try and find her. Please, that’s all I’m asking.”

 

Gavin reached forward and put his hand over the crying woman’s, something Connor had never expected him to do.

 

“We can’t promise we will find her, none of us can predict the future. But I promise I’ll do everything I fucking can to find her.” He spoke quietly, his voice soothing and comforting, eyes firmly locked with Ms. Suhani.

“Thank you,” she whispered, tears still glistering in her eyes.

“No matter what happened,” Connor said, trying not to let his surprise at Gavin’s show of compassion and empathy seep through. “There’s always a possibility for statistically unlikely events to occur. And we will try everything in our power to bring her back to you.”

 

Ms. Suhani nodded, pulling her hand away from under Gavin’s and motioning towards the hallway.

 

“If- If you want to, you can go and check out the rest of the house. Maybe you can find something that helps you find my girl.”

 

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Connor said as he stood up, giving her a friendly smile before walking towards the door she had pointed at, Gavin following him just a second later.

 

“’Thank you for your cooperation’? What kinda bullshit is that? Fucking hell, you sound more like a robot than I do, meat sack.” Gavin was clearly teasing him, even though Connor suspected that it wasn’t done to actually hurt him. Nevertheless, the words still hurt.

 

“I’m sorry, we can’t all be foul-mouthed and impolite,” he bit back, pushing open the door.

 

“Impolite? Where the hell was I impolite there?!” Before Connor could reply, Gavin continued to speak, already glancing around the room.

“Whatever, not my fault you can’t take a fucking joke. Let’s just see if we can find anything here.”

 

Connor swallowed but decided to drop the subject as well. There were more pressing matters right now.

 

The hallway was spacious, two doors to their right and one to their left, another at the end of the corridor. The blinking green light on the control panel next to it seemed to mark it as the back door, the security system actually running. With quick steps Connor walked up to it, pushing down the handle.

 

The door appeared to be locked, so their suspect most likely left either through the front door, the way they came in, or through one of the windows.

 

Shaking his head, he returned to Gavin, quickly updating him on his newest theory before actually taking in the rest of the hallway.

 

A few pictures adorned the walls, mostly Ms. Suhani with what Connor supposed was Thea or her friends, a few paintings, colorful and lively. The house felt like a home, and the fact that what appeared to be such an integral part was missing now made him feel almost melancholic. It reminded him of the first weeks after his brother had moved out four years ago, with the difference that he had known where his brother was, and that he could text and call and visit him.

 

This woman might never see Thea again.

 

Connor shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on the investigation, not dwell in memories.

 

“Let’s start here.” He pointed towards the first door to their right.

The only response Gavin gave was a shrug of his shoulders, and Connor wondered once again why Gavin was so accepting of his suggestions all of a sudden, especially after the little speech the android had given him yesterday.

 

A creak filled the air as Connor opened the door, revealing a small but cramped bathroom.

 

The shower seemed to be filled with various bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, all different shapes and sizes and colors, some standing up and some lying there, scattered on the tiles.

 

An insane number of cosmetic products, anti-aging creams, bottles of perfume, deodorant, and different soaps presented themselves to them on the sink, colorful, giving off an array of different scents that made Connor feel nauseous.

 

He had to resist the urge to cover his nose and mouth because of the overwhelming mixture of smells.

 

“Oh fucking hell, meat sack, what’s wrong now?” Gavin asked from behind him.

 

“What?” Connor choked out.

 

“Don’t fucking ‘what’ me, I can see that spike in heart rate. Are you so terrified of some make-up?”

 

“I am most certainly not scared of cosmetic products, but…” He hesitated for a second. “The mixture of smells is highly unpleasant.”

 

“Cover your fucking nose then, you got two hands, right? Just use your fucking sleeve.”

 

Something about Gavin’s reaction surprised him. Maybe it was the fact that while the annoyed tone never left the android’s voice, he didn’t make fun of Connor for feeling uncomfortable because of the sensation, but rather for not just acting on what had been his first instinct.

 

He couldn’t suppress the smile that formed on his lips as he covered his nose with his sleeve to take a further look at the bathroom.

 

Contrary to the mess that the bottles and products on the sink and in the shower appeared to be, the towels on the bathroom counter were all meticulously folded with a precision that only an android could manage, multiple succulents and other potted plants neatly aligned on the window sill and on the small bathroom shelf.

 

Nothing in the room pointed towards a struggle.

Before Connor could turn around and ask, Gavin already answered the question that had been on the tip of his tongue.

“No Thirium here,” he confirmed.

 

“Next room?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

As soon as they stepped back into the hallway Connor removed his hand from his nose and inhaled deeply, relieved to be able to breathe freely again without the huge assortment of smells assaulting his nostrils.

He closed his eyes and just focused on his breathing for a few seconds, chest feeling lighter again.

 

When he looked up again he found Gavin staring at him wordlessly, face void of any expression Connor could identify.

 

To his surprise there was no teasing that followed. Instead, the android simply turned around as soon as he was sure that Connor was paying attention to their surroundings again, opening the door to their left.

 

It led to a bedroom, a double bed in the middle, walls a calming light blue and filled with white furniture. It appeared to be a lot less cluttered, a few folded blouses and trousers on the dresser, two books on the nightstand, a few digital picture frames up on the wall, the photographs in them changing every few seconds. The huge window seemed to be perfectly fine and locked. Nothing indicated that it had been opened from the inside and closed from the outside again making it highly unlikely that the perpetrator had escaped that way.

 

Yet again, nothing even remotely indicated a fight happening in the room, no traces of blood to be found, no shards of glass or fallen frames, no clutter on the floor or damaged furniture.

 

In his peripheral vision Connor could see Gavin shaking his head before the android motioned for the other to finish up and move back to the hallway.

 

A sigh escaped Connor’s lips. He could feel himself growing frustrated with the lack of progress they were making already, despite the fact that it was only his second day on the case and with the DPD in general.

Moving past Gavin he walked up to the last door, reaching for the handle.

As soon as he wrapped his hand around the cool metal he was thrown back, the impact causing him to fall and hit his head against the wall.

For a moment his whole world was spinning as white, hot pain blazed through him, head pounding. Through the tears that had begun welling up in his eyes he could see a person, clad in all black with no discernable features rushing out of the door, grabbing the weapon that must have fallen from its holster when Connor had been thrown into the wall, pointing it at him.

 

Still slightly disoriented he tried to get up, knees weak.

The pulsating pain in his skull made it hard to process what was happening, heart beating at a much too fast rate, Gavin’s shouting voice only white noise to his ears.

 

This was it, he thought for a brief moment as he looked up to the person in front of him, unable to speak or get up.

 

The impact he had expected never came. Instead he felt something slam into his side as the android shoved him away, kicking at the figure’s legs.

Something about that seemed to work. Is Connor’s senses started to properly come back he could hear Gavin curse as he lunged at the suspect and tried to grab the firearm, a loud gunshot echoing through the hallway.

 

Then silence settled over them, Gavin lying on top of the other man, simulated breathing heavy and LED a glowering red.

 

“Fucking shit, Connor, call a fucking ambulance, do something, the fucker is bleeding out!” Gavin snapped, just as the door to the hallway swung open, a horrified Ms. Suhani standing there.

 

“Ambulance! Now!” Gavin barked.

 

Connor finally got back into his legs, feeling sick to the stomach as he reached for his phone to dial 911 while Gavin tried to apply as much pressure as possible to the man’s wounds.

 

The woman on the other side of the line promised that an ambulance would arrive as soon as possible before hanging up, Connor now rushing to Ms. Suhani.

 

“Is there a first aid pack somewhere in your house?” he asked, trying to ignore the throbbing headache and disgusting nausea.

 

“Yes, yes- w-wait I’ll get it.” She sounded terrified as she practically ran into the kitchen and came back with a small, white box.

 

Connor quickly thanked her before rushing back to where the by now unconscious man was lying, tearing open the box and putting on a pair of latex gloves as fast as he could before taking out the sterilized bandages and patches.

 

The man on the floor was rapidly losing blood from his upper thigh, the bullet seemingly having hit his arteria femoralis, the smell of the blood only adding to Connor’s nausea.

 

Gavin had already ripped away the man’s trousers as best as he could using his android strength when Connor shoved a pair of latex gloves into his hands.

 

“Cover the wound and press onto is as much as you can,” he ordered.

Gavin nodded, pulling on the gloves and taking the gauze pad Connor was holding out to him before putting it over the man’s wound and applying as much pressure as he physically could.

 

Connor in turn walked up to the man’s head, kneeling down and positioning himself behind it, overstretching it so he could breathe, thus hopefully removing the tongue that might have slipped back into his trachea when his muscles went limp as he fell unconscious.

The breathing he could feel against his cheek as he bent down was shallow and slow, but there nevertheless, and with Gavin constantly pressing down on the injury on the man’s thigh all they could do was wait and hope as the stench of cold sweat filled the air, shock symptoms setting in from the huge blood loss.

 

Relief washed through Connor when the paramedics arrived less than two minutes later.

 

His voice sounded strained as he explained what happened to one of the medics, a young woman with short, brown hair and glasses, standing up and slowly disposing of his own latex gloves.

Finally, the team of four that had just arrived took over, allowing Gavin and Connor to leave.

 

“You okay, dipshit?” Gavin asked as they walked into the living room. The insult lacked any bite.

 

“I think I’m mostly fine, my head still hurts but I wasn’t the one who got shot.” Connor tried to smile and hoped that it didn’t feel as weak and forced as it felt.

 

“Well, _I_ think we should get you to a fucking doctor, prick. Don’t want your old man to tear off my head because you got a concussion and I didn’t do shit about it. Second fucking day and this happens,” Gavin grumbled, crossing his arms, LED no longer a dangerous red but a tense yellow.

 

Connor let out a sigh, knowing the other was right. He turned towards the woman sitting on her couch who appeared to be shaken up.

 

“Alright, alright. Ms. Suhani, do you think you will be alright?” He couldn’t even force himself to feign eye contact at the moment.

 

“Yes- I – I’m just a bit – well, I’m as okay as a woman can be after that,” she admitted. “But don’t worry about me, I will be fine. Get this boy to a doctor now, will you?” She looked at Gavin, waiting for him to nod. “And please, please find my Thea.”

 

“We’ll do everything we can,” the android promised once more before they said their goodbyes, and Gavin practically dragged Connor outside towards Tina’s car.

 

“I just hope she doesn’t fucking kill me for getting the seat bloody,” he grumbled, sitting down in the passenger’s side. “Alright, let’s get you to the fucking ER, dipshit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember how I swore to never ever write an action scene again? I played myself. All the medical stuff is courtesy of my sister, and I payed for it with having to listen to an half an hour lecture about the most painful injuries a human can suffer. Nice.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for the long wait! and unfortunately, i don't think things'll be better. School is kicking my ass fml  
> anyways, huge thank you to the absolutely awesome fitzcarraldo on here for editing this for me, i love u  
> this is the last chapter i had prewritten, if i waited until i have some more I'd be old and gray before i post this one.   
> also, remember how i said there would be less emotional angst in this fic? yeahhhhh no

If he was being perfectly honest, a part of him had expected Connor to protest as he practically shoved the human into the driver’s seat, almost forgetting the man’s injury for a few seconds in his haste to get the whole ordeal done and over with. Once Connor was seated in the car, Tina’s car, Gavin reminded himself, and damn he hoped she wouldn’t kick his ass for getting it dirty, the android too got into the car and entered the address of the nearest hospital.

 

It was the same one their suspect would be taken to, which meant that they could essentially kill two birds with one stone: Getting Connor checked up on and keeping track of the man who appeared to be their only real lead for their investigation.

 

Neither of them spoke as the car engine started, the vehicle rolling out of the driveway of its own accord. Something inside of Gavin kept him from looking over at Connor directly, carefully watching the man out of his peripheral vision as he leaned his head against the cool, hard glass of the car’s window, seeking some semblance of relief for the throbbing pain that was still shooting through his temples.

 

For a brief moment Gavin wondered what might be going on inside of Connor’s mind right now.

 

It didn’t matter, he didn’t care, he told himself, staring straight ahead as he started to get lost in his own thoughts.

 

It had been a while since the android had fired a gun. He had done it before, more than once, had done it despite the fact that androids weren’t permitted to carry and utilize weapons.

 

His model had gone off the line mere weeks before the American Android Act of 2029 had been passed, the code written months before that, his whole personality and being decided upon by someone he would never know, had never seen and never interacted with, yet was solely responsible for every single aspect of him.

 

His early production had left him with a function he shouldn’t possess, one that his developers apparently hadn’t bothered to remove, had resulted in him still having a few lines of code, a protocol detailing how he needed to handle weapons, overwriting the ones that prohibited him from doing so in a case should the need arise.

 

It had come in handy before, had saved him from being damaged or even destructed.

 

But none of those events were things he liked to think about, and that very notion was another thing he would much rather banish from his thoughts, bury it deep inside of his mind and never let it get out of there again.

 

Androids simply didn’t like or dislike things, androids did not feel a deep sense of discomfort as their main processors replayed memories, unprompted and over and over again, effectively keeping them from entering their stasis until they haunt the police station night after night, unable to shut themselves off for just an hour.

 

Androids didn’t feel terrified at the images their mind conjured up, images of their own two eyes staring down a gun barrel, of torn out Thirium pump regulators and ripped up biocomponents, images of Thirium splattered across the floor in a disturbing work of art, blue blood flowing out from a gaping hole in their chest, synthetic breathing choked up and hitched and shallow, warnings blocking their vision.

 

Androids weren’t able to feel regret, not for aiming, not for firing. They didn’t feel guilty every time the sound of a gunshot rang through their minds, every time the sight of a bullet hitting the person standing in front of them made its way to the forefront of their thoughts.

 

The pained moans and screams that followed as someone fell to the floor, clutching their bleeding leg or chest or shoulder, looking up at them with pleading, brown, green, no, blue, no grey, eyes didn’t make their chest tighten ever so painfully, didn’t fill them with the overwhelming wish to be able to erase those memories.

 

They didn’t feel regret when they were forced to witness those pictures of blood on their uniform again, the imperfect splatters and intricate patterns as if they were made of paint, purposefully and masterfully drawn onto the dark blue by a skilled yet gruesome and cruel painter, red covering the thick fabric, soaking it through, dripping down as it mixed with the water from the pouring rain that surrounded them, the noise of worried shouting in the background, a chaos of frantic voices, high and low and loud then quiet, a blur, a haze, nothing more than white noise as they stared into dark eyes, whatever light they had held leaving them ever so slowly.

 

No, androids did not feel any of this. It was a known fact that androids didn’t feel anything. They didn’t wish and hope and struggle to ban images and sounds from their minds, their main processors orchestrating a nightmarish rendition of all the things they had endured and done, of their faults and mistakes, their guilt and regrets.

 

There was no guilt and regret for an android, no mistakes that could be moved on from, no wrongs that could be righted, no amends to be made. There was no room for growth when everything that defined you, everything that made you, that caused you to behave and struggle and act out was code, old and flawed and broken in its very core.

 

All of this meant that he was doomed to be the way he was forever, repeating his mistakes and hurting those around him, because no one decided to take the time to remove a function that while had saved him more than once, had harmed and cost lives, now possibly once more.

Because what was a damaged or broken computer when weighed against a human life?

 

Forever, he thought, or until they eventually realized what a mistake keeping the old, worn out police model from the late 2020s was and got rid of him.

 

The truth, however, was that Gavin was terrified of dying, terrified of the idea that he might no longer exist someday, some day that might not be that far in the future, that everything he thought and felt and did would just be gone, soon to be forgotten by everyone. It wasn’t as if he would, or could, for that matter, ever admit it, no, he wasn’t supposed to feel like this, had forbidden himself to think the way he did because it was all too human, too close to something he could never be, something he was both jealous of and despised, all at the same time.

 

No, androids did not feel any of these things, and so as a logical consequence, neither did Gavin. Because the meaning of that would be something far more serious, something he never wanted to think about.

He knew he was an old model, and sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t been replaced yet, swapped out for a newer one, one that was easier to work with and maintain and more pleasing to look at and talk to, one that wasn’t scarred and broken and malfunctioning and a fucking asshole.

 

The red glow of his LED reflected against the window, mimicking the anxious storm that was going on inside of him in the way it blinked and circled rapidly, anger joining the vivid chaos that was going on inside of him, Thirium rushing through his artificial veins, the pump in his chest picking up speed as his knuckles turned white from the tight grip he had on the fabric of his uniform pants. The blood was starting to dry.

 

Part of him couldn’t help but be furious, at Connor for not being more careful when opening that damn door, at the man who had gotten them into this, at himself for not reacting faster, for not holding Connor back.

 

He was mad at himself for feeling so helpless all of a sudden when their suspect had started to bleed, for the way he had frozen up, all of his protocols stuck in an endless loop of warnings, stress levels risings. Mad, because despite the fact that it had only been Connor’s second day at the precinct he had already proven himself to work better than Gavin, even if androids were supposed to be superior to humans.

 

Maybe they, in general, were. Maybe it was just him that was the problem.

 

His hands tightened their grip around the dark blue fabric, as much as it was possible at this point, the artificial skin on his knuckles as white as paper as he averted his gaze from the road in front of them and turned to watch the city flying past them, one office and house and bench and tree and neon sign at a time, observing the humans and androids that walked along the sidewalks and stood in front of their houses, waited for busses or hailed cabs, laughing and talking and living their lives, or spending their existence, in the androids’ cases, without blood and murder and injuries and guns and guilt and fear and sleepless nights.

 

Maybe that wasn’t fair of him to think. Each and every one of these people had a life as complex as the ones he observed at the station, an existence full of their own doubts and fears and demons to battle while staring at their reflection at three a.m., wishing and waiting and afraid for what the next day would bring, a life full of pain and sorrows and joy and wonder and agony and hope and loneliness and family.

 

The latter especially was something he as an android had never had and never would have, even if there were people like Ms. Suhani who treated their species with kindness and as if they were actually able to reciprocate any positive emotion and familial affection she may hold for one of theirs.

 

If anyone had asked him, he would have denied the tightness in his chest and throat at the thought, would have denied the glance he shot the human next to him, barely even looking at Connor, jealousy rushing thought his body, cold and painful, gripping his thirium pump regulator and elevating his stress levels even more.

 

He would deny that he felt envy at the sight of the officers at the precinct, because androids didn’t feel envy. They didn’t feel discontent and angry or desperate. They didn’t feel their stress levels rising ever so slightly and their hands itching with the overwhelming urge to punch the next wall or to at least cover their ears whenever someone talked about their family and friends, their emotions and humanity.

 

No, androids didn’t feel that way, and neither did Gavin.

 

He shook his head as the car slowly came to a halt, as if the simple motion would get rid of any unwanted thoughts that were bothering him. Maybe it actually did.

 

His focus needed to be somewhere else now, he decided. Priority number one was getting Connor to the ER and making sure that Anderson the older didn’t fucking rip off his head on the spot as soon as it came to his attention that Gavin had let his precious son get hurt.

 

Even if he had prevented the worst, he was absolutely fucking sure the old man would throw him into the next recycling bin, if he was that generous at least, no hesitation, if he didn’t come up with a good explanation as to why he had let this happen when he was supposed to look out for the rookie Detective per his orders. And simply blaming it on Connor wasn’t an option, he knew that.

 

Gavin was utterly fucked. After today, he was sure he’d be able to add another scar to his fucking collection. Not that it would make any difference, not that it mattered. Not that anyone cared how the old police assistant android looked, not when it at least did its job.

 

Even from the outside the hospital building seemed cold and sterile, the building tall and intimidating in a way hospitals probably shouldn’t be as the two of them made their way towards the main entrance, a tense silence between them.

 

The android couldn’t help the shudder that went through his system at the sight, the images of blood and limbs and wounds and injuries filling his main processors and he fought them down, the scent of hand sanitizer and anesthetics assaulting his sensors, one chemical analysis after another popping up on his interface.

 

A scowl appeared on his face, his eyebrows furrowing as he closed them, one after another, some more than once, annoyance seeping through him, head turning to make sure Connor was still following him.

 

To his luck, the human was right behind him, eyes wandering around the hospital lobby and observing the ado around them, face scrunched slightly in an obvious display of discomfort at the noise and hurried motions, busy nurses rushing from one thing to another, pagers beeping, patients and relatives and loved ones chatting, some worried and sad, some hopeful and calm, some sitting in the plastic chairs in the main waiting area, desperation on their faces.

 

Despite the fact that it was the first time that Gavin actually was in a hospital, the android already knew he absolutely hated it. Any previous victim or witness that had been confined to a hospital bed had been interrogated and interviewed by whomever had been his temporary partner at the time, meaning he had never even set a foot in them.

 

He couldn’t help the frown that crept back onto his face as he walked up to one of the counters, nodding impatiently while explaining the situation, telling the receptionist Connor’s name and why they were here, watching as she pointed him towards where the ER was located. The polite smile that adorned her lips never faltered, her LED always cycling a calm blue unlike Gavin’s own, red and yellow in turn shining on his temples.

 

Connor was still trailing behind him, there was yet to be another word spoken between the two of them, the silence as tense and awkward as it was had been looming over them ever since they had gotten into Tina’s car, engulfing them as Gavin practically stomped over to the almost empty waiting area, each step a loud thud on the clean hospital floor.

 

It seemed as if the universe was having mercy on him for once, meaning they wouldn’t have to wait for too long.

 

Gesturing for Connor to sit down, Gavin followed suit, lowering himself onto one of the hard, white plastic chairs which were uncomfortable, even for him.

 

The same silence as before settled over the room, only to be broken by the sound of busy feet walking by, quiet whispers from some of the other people waiting with them, one of them pointing at Gavin and Connor with their bloody clothing and Gavin’s LED, red to match, as subtly as they could. And eventually, the sound of Connor shuffling next to him, trying to reach for his phone inside of his pocket.

 

The look of relief that crossed his face as he found it, whole and undamaged, made Gavin chuckle. The way people were attached to their phones was… interesting to say the least; it was one of the few constants the world seemed to have. Something that hadn’t changed the slightest over the past decade of his existence, even as the technology used in them became more modern.

 

For a moment Gavin wondered if Connor would text Hank before shaking his head at his own stupidity. Of course he would, Gavin thought, if only to notify his old man that he’d be back late since they couldn’t be sure how much time exactly they’d be spending in the hospital.

 

The android’s luck had seemed to have ended with the sparsely populated waiting area, it seemed. A few minutes after he had been called into one of the examination rooms by an older, bored looking nurse, slightly swaying as he got onto his feet, hand pressed against his temple and forehead for a second, the noise of steps, hard and impatient as they walked towards where he was still seated caused Gavin to open his eyes.

 

In front of him stood Lieutenant Anderson, an unidentifiable mixture of emotions on his face, only one of which Gavin could decipher as worry, another most likely anger. He immediately braced himself for an impact that never came, expecting the man to punch him right then and there for not taking care of his precious son well enough.

 

To his utter surprise, Hank just dropped down into the chair next to him, dragging a hand across his face.

 

“I’m guessing the boy is with the doc right now?” he asked, and Gavin could hear the obvious strain in his voice, dripping of thinly veiled concern.

 

The android nodded in response, unsure what else to say or do.

No one had told them how long it would take, but with what he suspected there was a possibility that Connor might be kept overnight for observation, seeing as he had shown signs of a mild concussion. Hank’s worry wasn’t groundless, he thought, not when his son had gotten hurt only two days after he started working as a Detective.

 

“You okay there?”

 

The day was full of surprises, it appeared, and Gavin’s eyes widened as soon as he had fully processed the question, a serious look on Hank’s face, his eyes on the other’s LED.

 

“What’s it to you?!” Gavin snarked back, not knowing how else to react. There was no way the older man was genuinely worried about him, he was sure of that. He was probably just trying to fill the awkward silence between them in a way Connor hadn’t before.

 

“Fucking hell, your little mood ring up there has been going crazy red ever since I got here, I don’t want to fill out any paperwork because you suddenly decide to snap a damn wire and spontaneously combust or some bullshit,” the Lieutenant grumbled, shooting Gavin a frustrated look.

 

There it was, Gavin thought. Of course no one was worried about him, just about the fucking paper work. He remained quiet, hoping he was able to mask the hurt that had come with the thought. There wasn’t a single part of him that wanted to talk to Hank at the moment, not when he barely got along with the man anyways, even without feeling frustrated and guilty for letting his son get hurt.

 

It didn’t matter that he didn’t like humans, they reeked and assaulted his sensors, they were unpredictable and foolish, cryptic to downright dishonest, never saying what they wanted, never saying what they truly meant, always holding back and lying and hiding, masking their savage behavior and desires with custom and social etiquette.

 

No, it really didn’t matter what he thought of them, how much he hated those meat sacks most of the time, he was still made to obey and follow orders, protect human lives, do what he was told and most importantly, not fail.

 

Gavin often wondered why they accepted his snarky nature, the sort of asshole personality his code had created over the years of police work, probably after one too many malfunctions and accounts of being damaged, but as long as they did he chose not to dwell on it too much.

 

There had been times before when he failed his missions, didn’t accomplish what he was told to, when he had missed clues or when his chemical analyzers failed, when he had shot a gun and injured, potentially killed their suspect. But every time could be the last one, the last straw that made the DPD decide that enough was enough, decide that it was time to throw him out and replace him.

 

“Can ya at least tell me what happened?” Hank spoke up once again, effectively tearing Gavin out of his thoughts. An annoyed groan escaped the android’s lips, and he could’ve sworn that he heard Hank chuckle at the sound, barely audible but still there.

 

He could humor the old man, he thought, and maybe do something good for once, soothe his nerves and distract him from waiting. Sure, Connor wasn’t hurt badly, but Hank seemed to be extremely nervous nonetheless. It was illogical. Completely, utterly illogical.

 

So he gave a brief summary of everything that had happened back at the crime scene, leaving out as much detail as he could for things to still make sense, telling him about their interview with Ms. Suhani, Connor opening the door and getting knocked into a wall, despite everything still giving Gavin directions.

 

The android could see the pride on the man’s face at that point, and Gavin felt as if a cold hand clenched around his stomach, an icy sense of nausea running through him. There was no real explanation for the sensation, not when his self-diagnostic turned up with nothing but the still elevated stress levels. If anything, that just proved how capable Gavin was when it came to lying to himself.

 

Upon reaching the conclusion of his taking Connor to the hospital, possibly ruining Tina’s car with the suspect’s blood, Hank let out another small laugh. It didn’t sound entirely real, but even Gavin knew better than to point it out to the man, seeing as there was still a leftover chance that he would get punched right in the face for stepping too close to the man with something he said.

 

There was no way he would ever understand humans, Gavin thought briefly. Connor was probably the closest to that he could ever come. The android would never say it out loud, but he appreciated Connor’s directness, even if part of him was still on the fence about what he should think about the young man.

 

“Was Connor always such a weirdo?” he blurted out, not really thinking.

Apparently, that had been the exact thing he should have  _ not _ said, and he immediately wanted to kick himself for it. Hank’s face turned from mildly amused, yet still nervous and concerned, to angry and defensive in less than a second, glaring at Gavin with his arms now crossed, daring him to go on and say something bad about the man’s son.

 

Fuck. That hadn’t been what Gavin had meant. There went his chance at getting away from the whole ordeal scot free, he thought, sinking into his chair a bit. His LED was glowing red, cycling rapidly as he tried to think of something to say that might defuse the situation, or at least not make it worse.

 

“I just fucking mean… I mean he’s been excited about that Thirium analyzing stuff, for fuck’s sake. Don’t you skin bags find that shit disgusting usually?” he asked, running a hand through his artificial hair. Had he been human he was sure he would have been sweating nervously at this point.

 

“Connor’s fascinated by a lot of shit I don’t understand and never will. Doesn’t make him a weirdo, even if I wish he would finally learn that some topics are not suitable for the dinner table,” Hank huffed, less anger in his voice, even a small hint of amusement slipping through, eyes still trained on the android.

 

“Did ya know he has taken a sudden interest in you lot? Been reading a lot of manuals and magazines last night, wouldn’t shut up about it. That’s usually his brother’s fucking thing.”

 

Gavin whipped his head around, now properly looking at Hank, stunned.

“He was? What the fuck? The way he talked about that bullshit made me think he’s been into it for quite some time now.”

 

“Nah, asshole. Only when he was partnered with you. I don’t know what the fuck it is, but he doesn’t seem to think you’re as bad or something.”

A strange warmth filled his chest, one he chose to ignore. And the fact that his LED was beginning to turn yellow again didn’t have anything with the image his mind conjured up either, Connor huddled up with an e-reader in his hand, going through manual after manual, reading up on Gavin’s functions and history, cozy under the blanket until his eyes fell shut.

 

Absolutely not.

 

“So do me a fucking favor and at least try to be less of an absolute asshat to him,” Hank continued, rendering Gavin thankful for tearing him out if his thoughts. The raised eyebrow underlined the skepticism that laced Hank’s voice, coupled with the frustrated yet almost demanding tone.

 

“He hasn’t run to you crying yet, has he? So I guess I’m doing fucking alright, old man,” he shot back, annoyed at both Hank and himself.

 

Who did Hank think he was, making demands for Gavin to change his entire behavior for his precious little son? The weird thoughts that had popped into his head just seconds ago and the fact that something about the young man’s excitement and fascination had been almost endearing didn’t matter, human was human and humans were fucking pricks in Gavin’s books.

 

Not that he had books, or had ever held a physical one, one of those paper and ink ones, in his artificial hands.

 

“Whatever.” Hank threw him one last glare before leaning back into his chair and resting his chin on his crossed arms.

 

The sound of nurses chattering and calling up patients faded to white noise for Gavin’s audio processors, tired mind wandering back to their suspect.

 

He hadn’t gotten any notification on their status yet, so he imagined the man was still getting surgery.

 

The chances that he would make it out alive were slim, but Gavin could only sit there and hope for the best. Otherwise, their only current lead regarding the case was a goner.

 

A creaking door made him lift his head back up from where he had been staring at the floor, now watching as Connor exited one of the examination rooms and walked right up to them. There was a smile on his face, a man in a white coat following right behind him.

 

Gavin didn’t even register what was being said, too busy giving Connor a once over. He seemed to be in less pain now, the way he sheepishly smiled while Hank nodded at the doctor talking, all serious, a clear indicator for that.

 

Soon enough, his audio processors caught up and he was able to hear the last bits of conversation, a warning for both Connor and Hank to come back in immediately should the younger man notice any further signs of discomfort or distress since he had refused to stay in the hospital overnight.

 

When the doctor bid his goodbyes Gavin got onto his feet, rolling his shoulder to move his joints a bit.

 

“We done here?” he asked, masking the relief he felt with impatience.

It wasn’t that he cared for Connor himself, but despite the fact that he had already suspected that it hadn’t been more than a slight concussion, he was glad he didn’t fail horribly enough to have his partner get hurt badly.

 

Connor just rolled his eyes at the question in a somewhat exaggerated motion, grin never leaving his face.

 

“I would assume we are, Gavin. Did you hear anything in regard to our suspect?”

 

The android shook his head. “Fuck all. Guess they’re still trying to stich the fucker up and whatnot.”

 

“Alright. Do I need to accompany you back to the station?”

 

“Well, someone’s gotta take Tina’s car back, and I can’t exactly take it there by myself and shit. But you probably should just go the fuck home, meat sack.”

 

“I’ll call Chen and tell her to get her car at the hospital, Morrison can drive her here with the damn patrol car,” Hank interjected, already pulling out his mobile.

 

Connor’s smile widened a bit, and Gavin really started to wonder how he could stay this cheerful after what had happened today.

 

“Thank you!” he called after him as Hank walked away a few steps to make his call.

 

Suddenly, the sound of Hank’s conversation on the phone was interrupted by a small ping-noise in Gavin’s head.

 

His thirium pump regulator sped up as he opened it, furrowing his brows.

Barely even skimming the name and number of the nurse or doctor or whatever and skipping over basically the whole message in its entirety, he jumped straight to the bottom.

 

_ “…which means that we’re sorry to inform you but the man, whose name hasn’t been identified yet, has passed away during surgery.” _

 

Fucking hell. Nothing was ever easy for them, was it? He sighed, and now Connor seemed to realize something was wrong. His smile started to fade, an irrational part of Gavin cursing that fact, wishing for the happy look in the other’s eyes to come back, and he turned his attention to the android in front of him. Before he could ask, Gavin just shook his head.

 

“I got some shitty ass news. Guess we’re back to knowing shit all.”

 

“You mean…?”

 

“Yeah. Motherfucker’s dead, they weren’t able to identify him yet either.”

“Damn.” Gavin was almost surprised to hear Connor curse; the way the other usually spoke seemed so… proper and correct, unlike someone who would even think about using even mild swear words.

 

It was illogical, Gavin knew as much. With a father like Hank it shouldn’t be unexpected for him to swear.

 

Said man rejoined them just seconds later, not even giving Gavin the opportunity to speak up before he started talking.

 

“The shit with Tina is all set. Whatever is up with your suspect, there’s time for that tomorrow, I’m getting Connor home, and you back to the station. You fired a gun, so that’s gotta be taken care of.

 

Now, both of you, let’s leave this fucking hell hole. I absolutely hate hospitals.”

 

And for once, Gavin couldn’t help but agree with the Lieutenant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't beta-d because i am an impatient, impatient person. All mistakes are purely my own. I hope you still enjoy it! <3  
> I also wrote this chapter while being home sick, so please be easy on me lol  
> I'm always happy to read you guys' thoughts so please leave a comment or come scream at me on tumblr! <3

Things had somewhat quieted down afterwards, at least for a while. Connor and Gavin were still waiting to receive the official autopsy report of the man’s body, as well as an identification for their John Doe, with no more sudden break-ins that may have any relation to the case occurring.

The death of one of the group’s members must have shaken them, or at least disrupted the routine and usual order of things.

 

By now, the two of them were absolutely sure that there had to be more than one perpetrator, there wouldn’t be any other way for them to have Thea smuggled out since one of them appeared to have stayed behind for something.

 

The why and who was still frustratingly unclear, no matter how often both Gavin and Connor had gone over the case files in the past few days. There was no discernable motive, not since their theory of someone reselling spare parts seemed to have been proven wrong. Sure, there was still the option that those were being sold on some sort of black market, but that was highly unlikely in Connor’s opinion.

 

There were more than enough legal sites and opportunities to make a few bucks of old android parts, so why go through the all the hassle? No, he didn’t really think there was something to that theory, which just meant that they were back to square one, clueless and searching in the dark, basically.

 

The fact that Gavin had been confined to desk duty and paper work since he fired the gun didn’t help with the investigation, since Connor had had to drive back to Ms. Suhani’s house with a different officer, one whose name he didn’t bother to remember anymore and whom had been more than a bit unpleasant at times.

 

There had been no additional hints or leads to be found, neither around the rest of the house nor in the what had turned out to be a supply closet their now deceased suspect had hidden himself in, nothing that indicated any sort of motive or connection to someone else.

 

And without Gavin’s ability to examine the blood samples from the crime scene in real time they would need to wait for the lab results. Which could take two days or two weeks, depending on how many other cases the lab needed to analyze samples for.

 

They had tried with the dried blood on both Gavin’s uniform, Connor still wondered where that one had gone when he had entered the precinct the next morning, Gavin wearing a dark blue uniform that looked as clean as it could be, and the one on Connor’s own dress shirt, but to no avail. Somehow the android wasn’t able to get any information from the dried substance, having let out a stream of curses to make his frustration known.

 

At this point in time all they could do was wait and hope for Gavin to be cleared soon. The situation didn’t seem to be anything but unusual to Connor. According to the American Android Act of 2029, law enforcement androids, and any kind of android for that matter, were prohibited from carrying and using weaponry, especially against a human.

 

There was no reason why Gavin was still able to, Connor had thought in confusion, until Hank had calmly explained to him that the model was old enough to not have the function removed before release.

 

Connor had accepted the explanation, letting himself be soothed by knowing that this wasn’t a first time something like this occurred, and that Gavin was still working for the DPD and would most likely continue to do so.

 

If he had been anyone else, this all would have been more than strange, he thought to himself at some point during that evening as he sat on the couch with a steaming cup of herbal tea, coin dancing between his fingers and eyes trained on the phone resting on his knees.

 

The fact that he had taken such an immediate, such an intense interest into androids and the GV200 model specifically right after meeting Gavin would probably be regarded as weird by those around him, and if he was anyone else he knew he would think so too.

 

But those sudden almost obsessions were nothing new for Connor. They had been coming and going, jumping from one field of interest to another his whole life, starting ever since he was a young child.

 

Science-Fiction novels had been his first, big interest, something he still loved and cherished and often read. He still kept a few real books on his shelf, most of them his favorite novels from when he had been in elementary to middle school.

 

Maybe this old favorite of his played a role in his new-found obsessions, he had thought as he had scrolled through another interview, another manual, reading at a speed that was twice, if not three times as fast as the average reader.

 

Even if robotics and androids had never been hugely interesting or fascinating to him before. No, that had always been his brother’s area of expertise, at least in the past few years. His sister’s as well, but that hadn’t been something he had wanted to dwell on then.

 

All of that aside, there was still the open question of what exactly was to happen to Gavin now.

 

No one had told him anything. That fact alone made him nervous, not even the android himself had been able to say for sure what exactly they were doing this time around, or when they would be getting the all-clear.

 

From what he had been told by both his father and Gavin, by now an employee from the DPD, someone unbiased and unaffiliated with the case and the event should have taken a look at Gavin, interviewing him and checking his memory with one of the simpler programs the DPD possessed should the need arise.

 

So far, none of that had happened, leaving not just Connor but Gavin too restless and confused. Not that Gavin would ever admit it, but the way he paced back and forth when talking, the way he kept looking back towards the glass office that belonged to Fowler was a clear indicator even for Connor.

 

He caught the coin that he had been flipping around between his fingers in the palm of his right hand as he heard steps approaching, heavy work shoes hammering onto the hardwood floor, assaulting his ears.

Gavin leaned onto Connor’s desk, arms propping him up as he gave the young Detective a once-over before pushing himself up onto the cold, white surface, sitting right where Connor’s arm had been just moments ago, towering over the other.

 

For someone else, a suspect maybe, the sight might have been intimidating, the scowl in Gavin’s face and the scar across the bridge of his nose making him look scarier than he probably was, but all Connor felt at the display in front of him was a sense of familiarity.

 

During the past few days in which the pair had been forced to stay at the station it had become a habit of some sorts for Gavin to make himself at home on top of Connor’s desk. Sometimes absent-mindedly going through the belongings the human Detective had placed there, looking at the various pictures of Sumo, Hank and Niles, sometimes with but more often than not without Connor himself in them, the multiple potted plants, mostly succulents according to his database, the occasional sticky note to remind him of one thing or the other.

 

Something about Gavin looking at his belongings had made Connor uncomfortable, as if he had been put on display for Gavin to analyze and judge, yet he hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell the other to stop. Not when he had been spending his nights reading manuals and articles and magazines, scouring them for any and all information available about the GV200 to satisfy his own curiosity.

 

A cough erupting from Gavin’s throat, sounding mechanical and forced tore him out of his musings.

 

Without looking up he nodded in a slightly exaggerated gesture like his always did, indicating for Gavin to speak, signaling to him that he was listening even if his eyes were trained on somewhere else.

 

“So, you heard anything?” Gavin asked in lieu of wishing the other a good morning. Connor knew what he meant immediately, even if the android forgoing a greeting to just jump right into a topic wasn’t something unusual. Not that he minded the lack of a formal greeting even if it had confused him at first he had settled with it pretty quickly. The fact the for the second day in a row, this exact question had been the first thing the android had said spoke volumes of Gavin’s own anxiousness surrounding the situation.

 

Shaking his head, Connor now actually made and effort to look at Gavin, fixating his gaze onto the scar on his nose where the synthetic skin had failed to heal itself properly.

 

“Nothing. I assumed that something should have been set into motion by now, seeing as we need to continue our investigation but are unable to do so as of now, with the lack of conclusive hints and our inability to go back to any previous crime scene before you have been cleared.

 

There have been no news regarding the autopsy report either,” he concluded, frustrating seeping through his voice as he brought his hands up to his hair and ran them through it, an expression of is agitation with the situation.

 

“Oh fucking hell,” Gavin let out. “I hate this bitch ass shit.” His fist came down onto the table with a loud thud, startling Connor for a second before the human Detective let out an exasperated sigh at his partner’s antics.

He was absolutely used to cussing, he didn’t mind it normally, not when he had been living with Hank for more than ten years now, but sometimes he really wished Gavin would go easier on the swearing.

 

Before he was able to speak up, whether to chastise the android or try and reassure him that things would surely speed up and be over soon, the door to the precinct slid open, revealing a figure that looked all too familiar.

 

The man in the door was wearing an official CyberLife uniform, his stance stiff as he seemingly looked around the bullpen, face averted from Connor.

 

Was it…? No, why would his brother be here? There was no reason for him to be at the Police Department, and it couldn’t have been something person. If it was, Connor was sure Niles would have simply called.

Next to him, Gavin let out a high-pitched whistle.

 

Once again wishing for the ability to raise one eyebrow Connor looked back at the android, face twisted into a grimace that was supposed to be questioning.

 

Gavin however just grinned at him widely, LED pulsating blue and Connor could feel his cheeks heat up at the sight. He had to admit, whoever had been responsible for the android’s expressions and facial features had done an exceptionally good job. His smile was simply blinding, despite the fact that knowing Gavin it was probably sarcastic to a certain degree.

 

Somehow, it made him temporarily forget his confusion, whisk away his worry for just a moment before it all came crashing back onto him as soon as the man at the entrance turned around, enough for Connor to see his profile, and walked directly towards Fowler’s office.

 

His mind hadn’t been playing tricks on him. That right there was his brother, in the precinct, in his official work clothes. Why was he here? Did it have something to do with Gavin? Had they decided to finally decommission the android and needed and official CyberLife employee for it and in a cruel turn of fate, his brother had been selected for the deed?

Gavin’s grin began to falter once he saw what was going on in Connor’s own face, a strange sense of concern overcoming him.

 

The young man who had been flushing red, looking flustered for no reason just seconds ago had his eyes wide in shock now, mouth open as he stared towards where the other man, who had looked eerily similar to the young Detective, Gavin had noticed, had walked.

 

He tried to reach out to the other, putting his hand on Connor’s shoulder in an attempt to tear him out of whatever thoughts had horrified him enough for the expression he was wearing as of now to have formed on his face.

 

Connor flinched at the sudden contact, unexpected and wrong in its nature, too grazing, to much but too little for his stressed-out state of mind. Where was his coin? He had put it away into his pocket earlier, he’d have to fumble it out.

 

In an impulse decision, barely thinking about it, his hand shot up, grabbing Gavin’s just as the android pulled away from Connor’s shoulder, gripping it tightly as he closed his eyes to try and rationalize with his racing thoughts. He deeply hoped that no one would think anything of this, he didn’t need to repeat any of what he had gone through while attending the police academy or even school, didn’t need his classmates, or now colleagues to make fun of him, to call him unfit for police because sometimes he had trouble regulating his emotions when it came to private matters.

 

Sure, he had proven that none of it would affect his professional work during training, had proven that the way he as a person worked and functioned privately was different from the way he acted when on a job, he knew he was more than fit, more than capable of doing police work, but humans tended to be unforgiving towards people who showed themselves to be different.

 

He breathed out, slowly, attention fully focused on the simple motion of exhaling and the feeling of soft, synthetic skin pressed against his fingers with quite some pressure, feeling himself calming down.

 

The direction his thoughts had ran to wasn’t the most pleasant one, had almost sent him into a panic when his mind kept thinking it over and over again, not wanting to be forced to part ways with Gavin after he had started to become used to the other’s presence, not wanting for him to be decommissioned because Connor had made the foolish mistake of opening that door.

 

His grip on Gavin’s hand loosened up as he started to feel better. He’d just have to wait it out, who knew if that was even the reason behind his brother’s appearance at the police station.

 

Maybe it was related to something else, to another case, to another police android.

 

Before he could lose himself in his speculations again, Gavin spoke up.

“You okay there, dipshit?” The insult lacked any bite, and Connor opened his eyes to look at the android.

 

“Yes, I think I’m alright. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, I was merely thrown off the loop by my brother’s sudden presence here.”

 

Hands still locked together, Gavin started using his thumb to rub small circles into the back of Connor’s hand. He had seen the gesture be done by families trying to comfort each other after receiving bad news, and his database supplied him with a confirmation that the gesture was indeed one that was usually intended to soothe someone. And he couldn’t have Connor freak out on him now, could he?

 

“Your brother, huh? Do you not get along, or why do you look like you’ve seen a fucking ghost?”

 

The swearing was back, and Connor couldn’t help but smile at it. It was familiar.

 

“No, that’s not it. Me and my brother have a good relationship, I just did not expect to see him here. And,” he hesitated, unsure whether or not he should even mention it. “And I do not know what to think of the fact that he is here. What it means. He works for CyberLife,” Connor concluded lamely.

 

“Yeah, you said that before and his jacket gives it away pretty much fucking immediately. But why- ” Realization spread on his face, but before he was able to go further with this train of thoughts, the door to Fowler’s office was swung open.

 

“Detective Anderson! Gavin!” Fowler bellowed. “In my office, now!”

Connor gulped as he stood up, only now properly realizing that he had been clutching Gavin’s hand the entire time, had failed to let it go once he didn’t need to pressure anymore.

 

As if he had been burned he pulled away, not wanting to make the android uncomfortable with continuing to grasp at his hand, even if a big part of him felt sad at the loss of contact.

 

There was a look on the android’s face that he couldn’t really figure out what it meant. Instead of asking, Connor just shook his head and motioned for Gavin to walk towards the office were Fowler, and Niles, were waiting for them.

 

The door fell shut behind them, making a clinking sound that made a cold shiver run down Connor’s spine, and he wished nothing more than to be able to grab the android’s hand again. The soft feeling of synthetic skin had worked incredibly well to calm him, but he knew doing so wouldn’t be appropriate right now.

 

Instead, he settled for fiddling with the hem of his dress shirt, forcing a smile onto his face as he looked at his brother.

“It’s nice to see you, Niles.”

 

“Hello to you too, Connor. I would’ve called earlier to tell you, but to be honest I forgot.” Niles leaned back into his chair, curiously eying both his brother and the android at his side, lightly smirking when he noticed the GV200 staring at him with furrowed brows.

 

“Yes, it’s- it’s alright. But why exactly are you here, now? I assume it’s some official matter?”

 

The laugh that escaped Niles’ lips at that was so similar, yet so different from the way that Connor laughed and Gavin couldn’t help but feel slightly weirded out.

 

The two brothers looked extremely similar in appearance, the biggest difference between the two the color of their eyes.

 

Where Connor’s eyes were soft, warm brown, like molten chocolate, the very definition of doe eyes, his brother’s eyes were blue, pale and icy.

Niles didn’t appear to be unfriendly, not by any stretch, but something about him unsettled Gavin. Maybe it was simply the fact that he might be here to decommission him.

 

“No, Connor, I just came here in my official uniform, to your place of work, for a chat.”

 

Brows scrunching in confusion Connor opened his mouth, only to be interrupted my Niles before he even got a word out.

 

“Of course it’s something official, I’m just joking.”

 

“Are you two done with the family banter, then? Connor, Gavin, sit down.”

The two of them complied, and Connor couldn’t help the way his gaze flickered around the room, nervous.

 

“So, as we were discussing beforehand, Mister Anderson is here to make an official assessment of Gavin. It’s long overdue, and with those, what did you call it again? Those accounts of deviancy popping up recently it seems necessary to have someone from CyberLife evaluate Gavin’s functionality.”

 

Relief rushed through Connor. No decommissioning, just a check-up by an official employee, which just happened to be his brother.

 

Next to him, Gavin nodded. “And when are we gonna get that shit done? We have a fucking investigation we want to solve.”

 

“Be patient for once, will you? Mr. Anderson is here already, so if you two have nothing on your plates right now you can go with him immediately, one of the interrogation rooms should be free.”

 

“Sir, will I be going with them?” Connor asked.

 

“There’s no need to, I’m certain your brother will be able to handle the screening by himself. The observation room is always open to you, however, if you want to stay and have nothing else to do.”

 

Nodding in response Connor got to his feet, waiting for Niles and Gavin to do the same.

 

His brother let out a low chuckle. Why, Connor wasn’t sure, but for now he chose to ignore it.

 

With a wave of his hand, Fowler dismissed the three of them. “That would be all. Don’t forget to send me your report as soon as you have it, Mr. Anderson. Thank you for your trouble.” The chief stretched out his hand, waiting for Niles to shake it.

 

Niles did so with a polite smile before following Gavin and Connor out into the bullpen, waiting for them to point him towards the interrogation rooms.

 

Not receiving an answer to his unspoken question, he sighed. “So, where do we need to go?”

 

“Over there,” Connor replied, gesturing for his brother to follow him.

Interrogation room three had turned out to be empty, and Gavin watched as Connor entered the observation area as he himself lead the way for Niles, unlocking and pushing open the door.

 

“So, what the fuck are you going to do now?” he asked, watching as the man in front of him unpacked his briefcase? Bag? And took out a laptop.

“Nothing bad,” he grinned, and Gavin couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

 

“No need to look so uneasy, Gavin, was it? All I’m going to do is connect to your main processor and sift through the recordings of the event in question, as well as take a look at some coding. You know, with the whole deviancy thing, we can never be careful enough.”

The knowing look on Niles’ face sealed the deal for Gavin, and he turned his head towards the mirror, almost reflexively, wanting to see if Connor had caught it too. He was only met with his own reflection.

 

“Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon. I trust that you’ve had your memories examined before, though?” He quirked up one eyebrow, a gesture that felt foreign on someone that basically shared Connor’s face. He had never seen his partner do that.

 

Niles laughed, and Gavin felt as if the man had been reading his thoughts.

There was really no need to be suspicious of his partner’s brother, really, but that didn’t help the shiver that ran down his synthetic spine as Niles brought up his hand towards Gavin’s main control panel, popping it open with a skilled motion of his fingers and connecting his own device to one of the wires.

 

“Just stay still, I’m downloading the footage right now.”

 

A small ping sound signalized the process being done, and Niles put in a pair of earbuds, presumably watching the recordings of the incident, nodding and mumbling every once in a while, taking notes and rewinding.

The frequency at which he actually swiped across the screen increased at some point, and Gavin guessed that he was now looking through some parts of his code, like he had said before.

 

What would he find there? Gavin felt strangely vulnerable, exposed this way.

 

An incredible sense of relief engulfed him when Niles closed his Laptop, a knowing grin still on his face. His pale eyes were trained on Gavin, examining him.

 

“What?!” Gavin spat out, getting impatient. Couldn’t they just get fucking done with this already?!

 

“It’s very interesting. You appear to have deviated long ago, but you’re still working for the precinct, following orders. And no one even noticed, despite your rather… interesting personality.”

 

He spoke quietly, not wanting the sound to be carried over into the observation room.

 

“What?! I- I’m not a fucking deviant, you prick!” Gavin’s eyes widened in shock and anger, voice agitated yet just as quiet as Niles’ was.

“Yes, tell yourself that.”

 

“I’m not! Fucking hell, they’re gonna fucking throw me out because you decided I was something I’m clearly fucking not!”

 

“Who said I was going to tell anyone?” There it was again, the raised eyebrow.

 

“No, I think it’s much more interesting this way. I have to say, when Connor called me to talk about the police android he has been working with I was… intrigued. My brother isn’t the easiest person to get along with, not by far, but I’m glad to see it’s been working out.”

 

A neutral expression appeared on his face, and somehow that was scarier and any expression Gavin had ever seen on a human.

 

“But I’ll tell you something. I may be curious to see where this whole thing goes, but as soon as you hurt my brother, you’ll regret the day you went off the production line. Got it?”

 

The only thing Gavin could do in response was nod and be incredibly thankful for the fact that he had been paired up with the other twin.

 

This one was positively terrifying.

 

The man stood up, the polite smile returning to his face.

 

“Alright, we’re done here. Connor, if you’re still there, how about I call you when I finish my report? I missed you and dad.”

 

With that, he walked out the door, leaving an absolutely befuddled android behind. There was a lot he needed to think about.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to @cheezpotatoe on tumblr for editing this for me and making very sweet and hilarious comments while doing so <3  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, please tell me your thoughts afterwards!

The cold, white light emitted from the lamps around the precinct felt just as synthetic as Gavin’s own skin as he dragged his hand across his face. Felt just like his skin, but so unlike Connor’s.

 

The young man’s hand in his had felt so warm, so soft yet somewhat rough, smooth but not to a degree that it felt unnatural, his grip tight at first in a way that would have been uncomfortable had Gavin been human. But he wasn’t, and the feeling of Connor’s skin against his was just another reminder of that, no matter how much he had relished the sensation.

 

Not that he would admit it out loud.

 

It wasn’t anyone’s business that he had enjoyed the small, physical contact with a human, when he usually hated them more than anything else. Something about Connor was different, less obnoxious.

 

Sure, the Detective had his quirks that Gavin didn’t fully understand, but he didn’t belittle him, didn’t treat him like a broken failure or like he was nothing more than a glorified coffee machine.

 

Realistically speaking, there wasn’t much different between him and one of those, though, now was there? They were both machines, designed to accomplish a task, to serve and obey humans.

 

It was just that one was obviously made to look like nothing more than that, with its function being to provide caffeinated drinks for humans. Did Connor drink coffee? He wondered briefly.

 

The other one, him, had been designed to help human officers with their investigations, to do police work. Was made to look, to sound, to behave like one of them, to work harmoniously with humans. Gavin couldn’t help the humorless chuckle that escaped his lips at that. As Anderson the older had once said, “well, they fucked up.”

 

They truly had, hadn’t they? With whatever it was that had allowed him to develop such a drastic change in personality.

 

Niles’ words from earlier echoed in his ears.

 

_ “You appear to have deviated long ago” _

 

Had he? Had he truly gone deviant without noticing?

 

Gavin shook his head, hair falling down onto his forehead.

 

There was no way he had, no way in fucking hell. He would’ve noticed, if something so fundamental had changed about him, wouldn’t he? There would have been some grand realization, some refusal to keep following human orders.

 

But he was still doing what they told him, even if he despised them. Followed their every command, even if he hated them. That meant Gavin couldn’t possibly be deviant, could it?

 

Niles had lied. That was the only possibility. That, or he had made a mistake. But something about the man, something about his aura had absolutely given Gavin the impression that this man wasn’t someone who just “made mistakes”.

 

He appeared to be good at what he did, charcoal-lined pale blue eyes concentrated and focused, his expression while watching the screen of his laptop almost uncomfortably similar to Connor’s when he thought really hard about something.

 

The sun outside had set a few hours ago already, fall having engulfed Detroit by this time in October for quite some time now.

 

It must be cold outside, Gavin thought, watching the street in front of the precinct, empty and dark patches hugging the corners that the street lights couldn’t reach, and the android didn’t think that he had ever witnessed complete darkness. Only when he closed his eyes to attempt falling into a stasis, a comfortable numbness.

 

But never with his eyes open wide.

 

How would it feel for a human to walk these streets right now? Would they be scared? Would the dim light of the street lanterns, the busses, the advertisements assure them? Would they fear being alone? Or fear not being alone?

 

That was another thing he himself had never experienced, he realized.

Being truly alone, or even just being only with someone he actively chose to be around. There were always officers at the precinct, and at night there was an array of other police androids.

 

Despite the fact that most of them had been put into stasis when the last officer had left, he still felt their presence looming over him as if they were awake.

 

But then again, androids couldn’t choose who they wanted to be with. They didn’t  _ want _ to be with anyone. Or  _ not want _ to be with anyone, for that matter. And of course, Gavin didn’t either. No matter what Niles had said, he wasn’t deviant. He was a machine, and he liked it that way. It was the furthest he could be from humans, while looking and talking like them.

 

A creak tore him out of his thoughts, and he couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden sound.

 

An intruder, maybe? Shit. Was there anything he could use to defend himself? Sure, he was stronger than the average human and was well-versed in close combat but having a weapon would make this a lot easier.

 

Gavin’s eyes flickered around the bullpen that he had been pacing through just moments ago, grabbing one of Connor’s potted plants.

 

It had been the first thing he had been able to find as the steps from the hallway became louder, sounding weirdly similar.

 

LED blinking red, he tried to run the sound through his database, tried to recognize the steps. A shadow came into view, and Gavin stopped any attempts to pinpoint the intruder’s identity by the sound of their shoes hammering against the floor in an almost clunky manner, potted plant held above his head and ready to throw it and charge.

 

When an all too familiar face looked at him, head poking through the door, expression befuddled, Gavin slowly lowered his impromptu weapon, staring back with the same look of bewilderment on his face.

 

“Connor?!” He almost yelled, voice shrill and LED a threatening red.

 

“Gavin?” The other returned, and Gavin could see that he tried to raise one eyebrow but failed miserably, leaving his face a grimace that was most likely meant to appear questioning.

 

“What the fuck are you doing here?! It’s the middle of the fucking night!” The android demanded to know, raising a brow of his own.

 

In turn, Connor’s furrowed together, expression caught between guilt, nervousness and something that looked like a hint of envy.

 

He looked away, not even pretending to look Gavin in the eyes anymore. Up until now, the fact that Connor always tended to avoid eye contact had never bothered Gavin but something about the situation made him feel incredibly frustrated. For no good reason, at that. It wasn’t Connor’s fault he had been so agitated already.

 

There was still an explanation needed as to why Connor was standing here in front of him right now, looking down sheepishly and fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie.

 

Wait, hoodie? It was only now that Gavin realized that in the short span that he had known the other man, all he had ever seen him wear had been dress shirt and slacks.

 

What Connor wore now was far from that, he appeared to be in comfortable pants and an oversized hoodie from the police academy.

Suddenly, he felt heat rising in his cheeks, LED blinking yellow instead of red for a few seconds. It wasn’t a bad sight, not by far. Even if it was very unexpected.

 

On another note, he still hadn’t received an answer for the reason behind Connor’s presence.

 

“So?” he repeated, hoping the get something out of the human in front of him, arms crossed in front of his chest.

 

“I… I came here to collect some paperwork. I forgot it, and I… I want to do some work from home. It needs to be finished soon, so I thought, I…” he trailed off, brown eyes looking everywhere but at Gavin. Flickering around more than they usually did, never staying in the same spot for more than half a second, flying across the room at a nervous speed.

 

“Yeah, sure, and I’m – No, I don’t even fucking know. Fact is, that’s a big load of bullshit,” Gavin grumbled, watching the other squirm under his interrogating gaze.

 

Gray eyes tried to catch brown ones, but no matter what, they just kept avoiding him.

 

“That’s not true! I actually need to get some files, I really do!” Connor exclaimed, walking towards his own desk.

 

Under Gavin’s watchful eyes he activated his terminal and logged in via a touch of his hand. Pulling out a flash drive out of his pocket he removed the hand from the station, fingers swiping across the screen in search of a certain file.

 

Connor face was illuminated only by the dim safety lights of the precinct that had to be left on and the calm blue of the screen in front of them, and despite Gavin’s suspicion about Connor’s reasoning to be here, he couldn’t help but find the sight in front of him absolutely enthralling.

 

There was something so beautiful about the way the soft light lit up his partner’s face, the way the shadows fell on the other’s concentrated expression, eyes trained onto the terminal, tongue caught between his lips.

 

The heat in Gavin’s cheeks had started to become annoying, a self-diagnostic turned up nothing wrong with him despite the uneven temperature distribution, no cause mentioned.

 

A second, a third one didn’t give him any more insight either. LED slowly slipping back into a conobserving as his long fingers swept across the screen.

 

Fingers that had been intertwined with his just today, feeling better than any other sensation he had ever experienced.

 

That had pulled away from his as if they had been burnt by his touch as soon as the other was fully processing what he had been doing.

 

The thought was enough to pull Gavin out of it, and he furrowed his brows. There was no use debating the strange incident, he decided.

 

All of the sudden, the room went completely quiet. No sound of the terminal being used anymore, the only thing audible Connor’s breathing, deep and slow, focused.

 

Then, a cough.

 

“I think I have the file I need,” Connor stated.

 

He however showed no intention of leaving, instead pocketing the flash drive again before tilting his head, now somewhat looking at Gavin.

 

At times like these he wished Connor had an LED too, so he could at least kind of see what the other thought, how is general state was.

 

But no, he had to be a stupid fucking human and make things difficult.

 

“Shouldn’t you be in your pod?” Connor asked, breaking the silence.

 

At once, Gavin’s LED jumped back to red, and Connor’s eyes to it.

 

“I’m sorry!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t want to offend you, I-”

 

“Fuck off with that shit. It’s alright. . I just didn’t fucking expect that, meat bag.”

 

He paused for a few seconds, waited for his LED to turn back to at least yellow. Searching Connor’s face for any kind of discomfort or panic.

 

“I’m not the newest, and my stand-by mode seems to be buggy as hell sometimes. Fucking hell if I know why. ‘s just doesn’t work some nights, so I just stay here and do nothing to be honest,” Gavin explained, hoping the other didn’t catch on to the defensiveness that was hiding in his voice.

 

Connor simply nodded.

 

“That… that makes sense. Would you…” he hesitated. “Would you mind if I joined you in doing nothing?”

 

The question caught him off-guard, more than the previous one had.

 

“What the fuck? Aren’t you supposed to be home with Lieutenant Dad and your creepy brother?”

 

“You think Niles is ‘creepy’?” Connor inquired curiously.

 

“Yeah, kinda, but that’s not the fucking point, dipshit. Aren’t you supposed to be home?!”

 

“Yes, but…” his voice had gotten quiet, eyes back to flickering through the room. Had he been an android, Gavin was sure that his LED would have been pulsating red at this moment. Connor’s heartbeat was elevated, his stress levels rising.

 

Something about the question had caused him great distress, and Gavin just couldn’t figure out what or why.

 

Fucking humans.

 

He sighed, an expression of his exasperation with the young man in front of him, one that he had picked up from the various people working at the station.

 

Shaking his head, he looked at Connor.

 

“Alright. Stay, if that’s what you fucking want. The shit in the break room in functioning all night, so if you want a coffee, that’s your call.”

 

Maybe that would provide answers to his wondering earlier, satisfy the mild curiosity that was tugging at him.

 

“That’s… thank you, but I don’t drink coffee. I find it far too bitter for my taste, I prefer tea,” Connor added, a light smile on his lips now.

 

Huh. That was a new one, almost everyone at the station was practically a coffee addict.

 

“That, or Diet Coke. It’s certainly a bad habit, but sometimes I do need the caffeine, and it tastes better than coffee does. Sweet tea is also good, but I mostly prefer the real, warm version, preferable a herbal tea.” He just kept babbling, telling Gavin more about his preferred choice of drinks that he ever wanted to know.

 

Something about it had a certain adorable quality to it, there was no denying that. Instead of commenting on the fact that Gavin hadn’t asked for any of that, he just gestured towards the break room once more.

 

“I think someone bought tea like, four years or so ago. No one here drinks that fucking leaf water, so maybe there’s still some left.”

 

At that, Connor’s eyes lit up brilliantly. “Thank you!” He called out before walking toward the break room, Gavin staring after him.

 

There was without a doubt more behind the Detective’s reason to be here  other than the paper work, especially since he hadn’t made any attempt to work on it or go home.

 

He hated to admit it, but he wanted to know what had driven Connor out of the comfort of his home to the station. He had always thought of Connor as someone who valued familiarity.

 

A few minutes went by until the other returned, smile fallen a bit and no mug in his hands. Apparently someone had thrown out the tea bags one of the officers had bought ages ago, probably for the better.

 

In plain, clean CyberLife Sans, an objective popped up in the upper right corner of Gavin’s interface:  _ Buy herbal tea. _

 

Where did that come from? No use dwelling on it, Gavin decided, placing a quick order for a box or two of what he hoped was a sufficient version of Connor’s favorite beverage. A pop-up informed him that it would be delivered some point tomorrow via drone, the usual, the payment had been subtracted from the official DPD fund.

 

As Connor approached him, Gavin noticed that he himself was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

 

Dropping down onto Connor’s desk, he waited for the other to take a seat himself. There was a shiny piece of metal dancing between Connor’s fingers, and Gavin recognized the other’s coin, the one he would always fidget with when he was nervous, anxious, bored or overwhelmed.

 

The leather swivel chair creaked as Connor sat down, hands throwing his little comfort object from one hand to another.

 

“So, you wanna talk about it?” Gavin asked after a few moments of tense silence. That’s what he was supposed to ask, wasn’t it? That was what his social protocols supplied him with anyways. Talking seemed to help humans deal with emotions, not that Gavin would know about that.

 

And Connor’s strange behavior right now was driving him insane, or at least the android equivalent of that.

 

“Talk about what?” The Detective asked and were he anyone else Gavin would have rolled his eyes, annoyed at them for playing dumb. But he liked to think that by now he knew Connor at least a tiny bit, and he knew that the young man felt more comfortable answering questions after verifying that they meant what he thought they meant.

 

“Why you’re here. Not just the fucking paperwork excuse, if it was just that, you would’ve fucking gone back home already. So what makes you feel shitty enough that you’d prefer to spend your night here instead of in your cozy home?” He explained further, quirking up one eyebrow.

 

“I hate it when people do that,” Connor complained, staring at Gavin’s brow.

 

“Do what?” Gavin asked, feeling their roles strangely reversed.

 

“Raising one eyebrow. I can’t do it.” That was absolutely not what he had been expecting. And it still wasn’t an answer to his original question.

 

“Look, if you don’t wanna talk about it fucking tell me, but stop just avoiding my questions all the time,” he grumbled, exasperated.

 

“I’m not!” Connor shouted, far too loud for the empty area they were seated in, hands still fidgeting with the coin, stress levels not having gone down one bit.

 

“I… I’m not sure where to start,” he admitted.

 

Gavin looked at him curiously. The statement obviously implied that the other did want to talk, even if it surprised Gavin. He hadn’t expected that, hadn’t expected Connor to be willing to spill his guts to him of all people. No, not people. He wasn’t a person, he was a machine. To him of all  _ options _ , he corrected himself. Yes, that sounded more correct.

 

“Start at the fucking beginning then. Why exactly did you come here?”

 

Was that helpful? Gavin had no fucking clue. This was all new territory to him as well. None of his social protocols were made with the intentions of talking to emotionally distressed Detectives.

 

“I… I just couldn’t stand being at home anymore.” Connor’s voice was so quiet when he eventually spoke up that Gavin almost missed it, too lost in his own thoughts.

 

“Why? Does creepy brother have anything to do with that?” Gavin guessed, pleased by the fact that his comment caused a small smile to appear on Connor’s lips.

 

“Niles is definitely not creepy, but yes. His presence has caused me some sort of discomfort at home.”

 

“How so? I have no fucking siblings, I mean, duh, so you gotta explain that.”

 

“Niles moved out years ago, shortly after we graduated high school. He went to university and now works for CyberLife, he lives on his own at the other end of Detroit. I’m not sure why, but his presence at the house makes me think back to our teen years.”

 

“And I’m guessing those aren’t the best memories?” he supposed. From what his databases supplied, high school often seemed to be a difficult time for humans, especially those who were a bit strange like Connor was. To Gavin, the man next to him wasn’t strange in a bad way, he was certainly more bearable than most humans. But he was somewhat different, and he was sure that Connor knew that himself.

 

A laugh escaped the Detective’s lips, low and humorless.

 

“No, not really. I wasn’t the biggest fan of school.”

 

Somehow that was both expected and unexpected at the same time.

 

“Really? You look like the person who’d be a real fucking nerd, really into learning and all that shit.”

 

Another laugh, warmer this time, followed.

 

“I could never concentrate on things that were even slightly uninteresting to me, but I somehow still managed. However, that wasn’t what I hated, Gavin,” he said softly, almost carefully.

 

“I- I think you know that I have my… my quirks I guess. No one here has been rude about anything so far, but teenagers can be cruel.”

 

Gavin nodded, not fully understanding but not having any reason to doubt Connor. The other was right, he  _ had  _ noticed.

 

“It wasn’t so much that I was picked it, but I was… lonely. There weren’t a lot of people I really got along with well, and even then they always preferred someone else over me. When compared to Niles, I was pretty much an outcast. It made me doubt myself, doubt my abilities. I felt there was something wrong with me.”

 

LED jumping back to red, Gavin looked at Connor. “There is nothing fucking wrong with you, what the fuck,” he stated without thinking.

Connor simply smiled at him, warm and blinding and gorgeous.

 

“Yes, I know that now. But back then, back when I was fourteen, fifteen, or even younger, I didn’t have my diagnosis. I thought the fact that most people didn’t like me was my own fault. That I was a failure for not being able to do as much as everyone else, because I got overwhelmed by sounds and other stimuli. Social interactions have never been my greatest strength either,” he laughed about the last part, and it was a sound Gavin would never been able to hear enough of. He absolutely adored it.

 

“Diagnosis?” He asked. The android hadn’t looked into any of Connor’s files yet, but he had been having his suspicious.

 

“I’m autistic. I was only diagnosed in high school, to be honest I didn’t even really know much about it before that, due to the fact that Niles and I had been shunted from foster home to foster home when we were younger. No one had cared to look into possible reasons as to why i had more difficulties than other children there. I… I wasn’t an easy child.” He chuckled, without any sadness despite his words, amused and nostalgic. It was a sound that Gavin simply wanted to treasure. He didn’t even notice that his LED had gone back to blue, not even bothering to deny the fact that he enjoyed the other’s laugh. And so what? It was an objectively beautiful sound.

 

“And you know, it was a relief, really. To know there wasn’t something wrong with me, that I wasn't alone. That I wasn’t just inadequate or weak for struggling more than other people, but that there was a name to it, something that was objectively not my fault. It made accepting my differences easier.”

 

Gavin had already been guessing that something like that might be the case. Connor’s behavior had lined up with what his database had told him, but he hadn’t wanted to jump to conclusions. The incident in the waiting room with Hank made even more sense now, it explained why the man had reacted so strongly to him calling Connor weird. Should he say something about it? He wondered briefly, unsure of himself. What did Connor want, what kind of reaction? Did he want assurance, or would he prefer it if Gavin just went on with the conversation?

 

Connor’s body language suggested the second one. He seemed confident in his reveal, not like it was something he was ashamed of. So, Gavin decided on a course of action.

 

“Honestly, I can’t fucking imagine that. You being difficult, I mean. You’ve been the easiest fucking human to work with.” It wasn’t a complete truth, but Connor didn’t need to know that. What counted was that Gavin actually was fine working with the other.

 

“Thank you,” Connor smiled at him. Ever since they had started their conversations his stress levels had gradually gone down. The Detective’s brows furrowed suddenly, eyes wandering from where they had been trained onto Gavin’s LED to his hand.

 

After a few seconds of hesitation, he placed his own above Gavin’s, lacing their fingers together.

 

“I… I hope I am not making you uncomfortable with this. I just noticed that the feeling of synthetic skin helps me focus,” he explained, smiling almost sheepishly.

 

Instead of responding verbally, Gavin just shrugged, using his free hand to gesture for Connor to move on with his story.

 

It took a few moments for Connor to catch up on what the android meant.

 

“Well, and Niles being at home just makes it feel like it’s our teen years all over again. I actually do have some paperwork that I need to fill out, so I took it as an opportunity to get away a bit.”

 

And part of Gavin supposed he understood, he thought has he rubbed soft circles into the back of Connor’s hand. The small action helped him think. It was something he could get used to, maybe touching humans wasn’t so bad if it was this one.

 

Maybe he understood the desire to escape old memories, things that had happened a long time ago but were still there, in the back of your mind or main processor.

 

His own grip on Connor’s hand tightened slightly, LED whirling yellow.

Concerned doe eyes stared up at him. It was one of those rare moments in which Connor actually looked Gavin in the eyes, in which warm brown met cold gray.

 

“Gavin, are you alright?”

 

The question startled him, more than anything else. It wasn’t something he was asked on a regular basis, hell, he couldn’t even find a singular incident in his database in which someone had asked about his well-being that wasn’t purely about his biocomponents being functional.

“Yeah,” he answered cautiously.

 

“Are you sure?” Connor insisted, eyes not leaving the other. There was a sort of determination on his face, to return the kindness that Gavin had shown him.

 

“As alright as an almost ten-year-old android sitting in a fucking police station at three in the morning, holding hands with his rookie Detective partner can be,” he attempted to joke, only to watch Connor’s face fall and feel him trying to pull his hand away.

 

Not having any of that, Gavin just intertwined their fingers more tightly. He knew Connor needed the comfort right now, and if he was being honest, so did he. The android absolutely hated those night when his stasis mode was fucked up enough to not allow him to enter it.

 

At least he wasn’t roaming the station all alone tonight. He would have never expected to be okay with and even enjoy the company of a human.

 

“Let’s just say,” Gavin began, deciding to offer some honesty of his own after Connor had opened up to him like he did.

 

“Let’s just say that even fucking androids don’t cope too well with all the shit we see on the force. Messes with our processors or some bullshit.”

 

Connor nodded, thoughtful.

 

“I guess that makes sense,” he said, after a while. Gavin was more than glad that the other didn’t decide to press on, to pry into what exactly Gavin had meant. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to talk himself out of any further explanation without snapping at the young man, and for the first time in what felt like years he didn’t want to do that.

 

His thoughts had preoccupied him enough that he hadn’t noticed Connor tracing the scars on his fingers at first, letting his thumb glide along where his synthetic skin hadn’t healed properly. They didn’t feel any rougher than the rest, but the visual difference was there, seemingly fascinating Connor.

 

And Gavin let him, in turn kept rubbing circles into the back of Connor’s hand.

 

None of them knew how long they stayed like this, a comfortable silence engulfing them, the only sounds audible Connor’s breathing and fingers being dragged across skin softly.

 

“Connor, I…” Gavin spoke up suddenly, the clock on his interface signaling that it was almost four in the morning.

 

“I think you should go home. I know you don’t wanna be there, but you need to fucking sleep.

 

So get your fucking ass out of here and get some rest, I don’t want to see you until tomorrow noon earliest,” he stated, letting go of Connor’s hand and pushing himself off the desk.

 

“You’re right,” the other admitted, standing up himself.

 

“I better get going then.”

 

Gavin nodded, hand now cold, already missing the contact. He watched as Connor turned around and walked towards the exit, when the young Detective suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

 

“Gavin?” He asked, carefully, voice soft.

 

“Yes?” the android replied.

 

“Thank you.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look! it's a new chapter! school is still kicking my ass, but i'm trying to upate once a week even if that doesn't always work out.   
> I really hope you guys like the chapter, i had a lot of fun writing it. Please tell me what you think <3  
> special thanks to @cheezpotatoe on tumblr for editing this for me, you're the best!

White, hot pain shot through Connor’s temples as he opened his eyes, a glance towards his alarm clock revealed it to be only shortly after eight in the morning. He had had less than four hours of sleep so far.

 

Blindly reaching for the bottle of water he usually kept next to his bed he sat up, hands roaming his nightstand for painkillers. He could only hope they would still work after the early stages of his headache had long since passed, swallowing two at once before lying back down, face turned towards the wall, forcing his eyes shut in hopes to escape today’s migraines.

 

The next time Connor woke up his headache felt lighter, still there but a lot easier to ignore, pounding dully.

 

There was the urge to just turn around once more and fall back asleep, to ignore the voices coming from the kitchen and the fact that it was past noon already.

 

Maybe going to the precinct last night at such an ungodly hour really hadn’t been the smartest thing to do. At least he had remembered to place a note for Hank and his brother on the kitchen table, asking them not to wake him up in the early morning.

 

Memories of last night, the warm and fuzzy feeling that came with them told a different story however, and Connor couldn’t quite bring himself to regret his spontaneous late-night trip.

 

Not when he could still feel the touch of synthetic skin lingering on his own hand as he dragged his right hand over his left one, imitating the way Gavin’s thumb had drawn circles there.

 

It wasn’t quite the same, he thought with a wistful smile on his lips. Not by a long shot, the sensation was merely an echo of the android’s touch.

 

Connor had always had a soft spot for smooth textures, had loved touching them and running his hands across them as much as he could, had constantly pinched his brother’s cheek when they were children because the skin on Niles’ face had been simply too soft not to.

 

Now he had something that was even better.

 

Pulling down the hem of his hoodie he got up, Gavin’s smile fondly on his mind, heart skipping a beat at the excitement of seeing the other again today.

 

Something about the android made him feel comfortable, made him feel like they were already friends despite the fact that they had only worked with each other for a bit more than a week now and had had a rocky start at first.

 

There weren’t enough words to express how much Connor appreciated Gavin being there for him last night, listening to him without judging him.

Telling him there was nothing wrong with him.

 

He knew that himself, had come to accept himself and everything that made him different over the years, but hearing it from someone who had no doubt worked with many different types of people and had somewhat of a disdain for humans in general made him feel warm inside. Special, in a good way.

 

Connor shook his head, smiling. It was ridiculous how quickly he had warmed up to the rude android, but he wasn’t one to question it, not when everything worked out so well right.

 

The relief about Gavin not ending up being decommissioned for what had happened on their second crime scene together was still there, running through his veins under all the nervousness because of his brother’s presence and and the fondness about last night’s conversations.

 

He grabbed another pain killer and his water bottle, gulping down the little white pill in hopes that it would help with his headache further.

Mentally preparing himself for the pain the light from the hallway would most likely cause, Connor opened the door, squinting.

 

The smell from the kitchen was almost too much for a moment as his eyes were trying to adjust to the brightness shining through the windows and Connor had to seriously resist the urge to cover his nose and then ears when the sound of voices talking, pots rumbling, cutlery and plates clinking and being placed on the wooden table reached his ears which were even more sensitive right now because of his headache.

 

Two heads turned towards him when he actually entered the kitchen, casual chatter dying down to instead great him, a smug grin on his brother’s face.

“Slept well, Connor? What did you and Gavin do all night to have you so tired?” he asked, plates still in his hand. For a brief moment, Connor wondered how his brother had known that Gavin had been there as well, awake and not in a stasis as he was supposed to be.

 

“There wasn’t a lot to do at the station. I simply collected my paperwork and we talked for a while,” he answered, smiling slightly, deliberately withholding the part in which he had grabbed the android’s hand. Even though he was unsure why, he felt like it wasn’t something his brother needed to know.

 

“If you say so,” Niles grinned, putting down the last plate and grabbing three forks from the drawer.

 

The older one of the two couldn’t help but feel slightly bewildered at the other’s words, for a moment feeling as if there was something more to them than an innocent question.

 

Not being able to pinpoint what exactly it was that threw him off Connor simply nodded, the motion of his head slightly exaggerated.

 

“You alright, kid?”

 

Connor turned around to Hank, trying to look at him but failing, eyes flickering away and fixating on a spot just to his father’s left.

 

“Yes, I think so. I have a headache, but I hope that it will be gone after I eat something.”

 

“Did ya get your paperwork done?”

 

“Not entirely,” Connor replied, not completely honest in his answer. In fact, he hadn’t gotten any of the paperwork he had been meaning to do last night done.

 

“Well, ‘s better than nothing,” Hank mumbled good-naturedly.

 

Almost feeling guilty for practically lying to his adoptive father Connor finally sat down onto one of the chairs, waiting for his brother to be done distributing the cutlery.

 

“Since ya missed breakfast anyways we just went on to make lunch, hope you don’t mind eating pasta first thing in the morning,” Hank wanted to know.

 

“No, it’s completely fine,” Connor smiled as Hank put down the pot in front of them, then the pan with the sauce.

 

After that, their conversations moved on from Connor’s little trip last night, and he would have been lying had he said that he wasn’t grateful for it.

 

It was peaceful in the small kitchen, comfortable. In a way, it reminded Connor of the time when Niles was still living with them, more positively this time than it had done last night. Even though now they didn’t talk about the twins’ day at school, there was no complaining about their prick of an English teacher, no Niles talking about whatever plans he had made with his friends for the weekend, no Connor excitedly blabbering about whatever lesson had particularly interested him today.

 

Instead, their conversation revolved around work, both Hank and Connor’s and Niles’, the latter telling them about whatever new project CyberLife had entrusted him with, Hank grumbling about something stupid one of their colleagues had done, eyes glistening mischievously upon Niles dropping the name of a woman, an FBI agent, he had gone out with and planned to take out again if things worked out.

 

Connor was happy not to be the one put on display by his brother’s or father’s questioning this time, though he almost wondered why Hank was at home instead of at work where he, and Connor, now that he thought about it, should have been at this time of the day.

 

As if his adoptive father had read his mind he grinned. “Well, I guess since you overslept already we can go in later today. It’s not every goddamn day that Niles is here, anyways.”

 

Understanding, Connor nodded. He resisted the urge to ask  _ when  _ exactly they would leave for work. A lot of people seemed to consider it impolite when he did so, seemed to think that it meant that he was eager to go and get away from them when in reality, he just needed to know these little details for his own personal planning.

 

Not that he wasn’t absolutely keen on leaving today. From today on they were most likely able to go back into field work, granted Niles had submitted his reports about whatever he had found while questioning and examining Gavin.

 

The whole scene had made him feel uncomfortable as he watched Gavin being hooked up to his brother’s laptop, the way the two had spoken too quiet for Connor to understand what was being said, whether it had been on purpose or not, he didn’t know.

 

Suddenly, Niles patted down on his thighs before he stood up and loaded the dishwasher with his own plate and cutlery.

 

“I think I should get going soon, I called in at work today that I would be coming later but I still need to show up,” he joked, grabbing Hank’s and Connor’s plates and placing them in the dishwasher as well.

 

The black polish on his nails had started to crack, the eyeliner he usually wore smudged from forgetting to take it off and unable to properly re-apply it in the morning since he hadn’t anticipated staying over.

 

“Alright, son,” Hank answered getting up as well to hug the younger one of the twins, patting his back. “Take care and promise to keep us up to date with your little romance there,” he grinned at his son.

 

“Yes,” Connor smirked, always happy to have an opportunity to tease his younger brother. “Don’t forget to tell us more next time!”

 

“Only if you spill your guts regarding your little android there,” Niles shot back, expression smug as always, the small flush from the previous mention of his love life still on his face, even if he tried to hide it.

 

“Gavin isn’t exactly short,” Connor corrected his brother, ignoring the rest of the statement. There wasn’t anything to spill and he wouldn’t give his brother the satisfaction of getting defensive for no reason.

 

He raised one eyebrow, and for a moment Connor thought about throwing something at his brother.

 

“You’re deflecting again.”

 

“That’s purely your imagination, Niles,” Connor smiled, walking over to one of the cupboards to take out food for Sumo. The dog’s bowl was empty and even if the large Saint Bernard was nowhere to be seen at the moment, filling it up couldn’t do any harm.

 

“Whatever you say,  _ Con-con _ .” The usage of his childhood nickname felt strange, but he knew Niles was only teasing him.

 

“Well, I really need to get going,” he said, smugness and teasing gone from his face suddenly.

 

“Where is the most important member of this household?” His eyes wandered around the kitchen and living room, trying to locate Sumo.

 

“He’s asleep in the master bedroom,” Hank told him, pointing towards one of the rooms with his thumb.

 

“I won’t disturb him then,” Niles smiled lightly, grabbing his coat from the hanger next to the door.

 

“It was nice being here again,” he said eventually.

 

“Yes, it’s always great to have you in the house, son,” Hank told him fondly.

 

“Good luck on your way home, and with the FBI woman!” Connor called out, not being able to bite it back.

 

Niles just raised an eyebrow, knowing how much his brother hated it.

 

“Good luck with your android,” he said before pushing open the door and stepping out into the cold.

 

“You two can’t go an hour without getting on each other’s nerves, now can you?”

 

“Nope,” Connor replied cheerfully, emptying the last bits of dog food into the bowl. “You would know if you had siblings.”

 

“Thank god my parents decided against that idea. One of me is enough.”

 

There was no way he could hold back a laugh at that.

 

Before Connor was able to reply, the door to Hank’s bedroom slid open, revealing a rather large mass of fur running towards the young man, jumping at him and resulting in the two of them tumbling towards the ground.

 

It was pure luck that the bag he had been holding was empty now, otherwise he would have to spend the next half an hour cleaning it up and trying to get the smell of wet dog food out of their carpet.

 

A rough tongue slid across his cheek, a happy bark from the dog seated on top of Connor a clear sign that Sumo wanted attention.

 

Not bothering to shove him off or stand up Connor put down the bag, bringing his hand up to scratch him behind his ears, smiling at the way Sumo’s tail wagged with joy as he was being petted.

 

“Sumo, boy, get off of Connor. You’re ruining his clothes again,” Hank chastised the large Saint Bernard. Even if it was impossible for him to understand the words, the low tone of Hank’s voice was enough for the dog to know that he was being scolded.

 

Sulkily the dog got up again, plopping down next to his food bowl.

 

Rubbing his cheek to try and remove the sticky feeling of the dog’s saliva from it, a thought popped into his mind: Did androids have saliva? He’d have to ask Gavin about it.

 

They should have, right? They were built to look and seem as human as possible, so why wouldn’t they? On the other hand, there wasn’t really a use for it. Yes, he’d have to ask, even if it was a bit annoying that Niles was already gone and either still driving or at work already.

 

“You still here, Connor?” Hank’s question tore him out of his contemplation, and he couldn’t help but flush at getting so distracted again.

 

“Yes, don’t worry. I was merely thinking about something.”

 

“Does it have to do with androids?”

 

“How—”

 

“Around three quarters of whatever comes out of your mouth these days has to do with them. You’re just as bad as your brother.”  _ Or your sister. _

 

Hank didn’t say it, but Connor could hear it nonetheless. It wasn’t something he, or anyone in their family liked to talk about, and he decided to pretend to not have noticed the unsaid addition. It always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

 

“I simply like to know who or what I’m working with.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know, son. Didn’t mean it in a bad way. Could be worse, we could be back to the frog phase. I hated those little things you kept bringing home.”

 

The frog phase, as Hank had accurately called it, had been a time when Connor had been around twelve, a few months after he and Niles had started living with Hank.

 

After one of their biology classes, the boy had become immensely interested in amphibians, and had started bringing home all kinds of frogs. Neither Niles nor Hank had been particularly happy about that.

 

“But we’re not,” Connor replied with a smile, feeling a bit nostalgic at the memory.

 

“Yeah, and I can’t even say how fucking happy I am about that.”

 

A loud, vibrating sound interrupted their conversation, and Connor reached for his mobile phone, confused as to who would call him today. The precinct, maybe? The number looked long and official.

 

“Hey dipshit, I hope you’re not too tired because guess fucking what? They finally got our autopsy report, so move your ass to the police station, got it?

 

That, and fucking Fowler wants to talk to us for some godforsaken reason. Hell if I know why.”

 

The android spoke quickly, clearly agitated and annoyed.

 

The young Detective couldn’t help but wince when he heard Gavin#s voice so closely to his ear, much too loud for his current liking no matter how much he enjoyed the android’s voice.

 

“Alright, thank you for notifying me. I will be on my way as soon as I can,” Connor replied, headache still pulsating in his temples.

 

“You good?” Gavin asked after a few seconds of hesitation, concern lingering in his voice.

 

“Yes, just… just a headache. But it should be gone soon, I hope.” He couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face, not even when he felt his cheeks flushing with warmth.

 

Connor didn’t notice the suspicious look on Hank’s face as he kept talking to Gavin.

 

“’s good to hear. Shit, I’ve seen what a lack of sleep can do to people. Wouldn’t want to get shot because you didn’t get your beauty sleep and can’t concentrate.”

 

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t let that happen,” the young Detective replied, more serious than Gavin had probably anticipated.

 

“Whatever, just get your ass here before Fowler hands me my ass alone.” With that, the android hung up.

 

The warmth in his cheek was still there, now coupled with nervousness. What did Fowler want from them? What about the autopsy report had Gavin so worried that he called Connor to come in instead of waiting for him?

 

He petted Sumo one last time before looking at his adoptive father, unable to identify the other’s expression.

 

“I think I should go to work now. Will you accompany me?”

 

“I gotta show up there as well at some point, don’t I?” Hank told him.

 

“I’m taking that as a yes?” Connor tried to verify.

 

“Yup.”

 

After getting dressed as fast as he could, not even bothering to fold his hoodie but instead just throwing it onto his bed, Connor put on his coat and favorite beanie, a black one he had been gifted by his brother for Christmas a few years ago.

 

The young man rushed out of the door, only shouting a hurried goodbye to Sumo before getting into his father’s car. There was no reason for him to take his own, smaller one today when they were going in at the same time anyways, unlike the past few days.

 

It was cold outside, the late October air had been biting his skin painfully for the few seconds he had spent in it, now grateful for the fact that while the car wasn’t as warm as he wished it was, it also wasn’t as freezingly cold as it was outside.

 

Connor took out his coin, flipped it in the air and let it dance along his knuckles while he waited for Hank.

 

After a few minutes, Hank always seemed to take his time when getting ready, they took off, the Lieutenant’s heavy metal blasting through their car as they drove through Detroit.

 

As the precinct parking lot came into view, Connor already braced himself for the cold, coin safely pocketed as he almost ran towards the building, Hank’s slow strides behind him, an amused look on the other’s face.

Once inside, he breathed in the warm air.

 

Immediately after he entered the bullpen he spotted Gavin, walking towards the android, who was seated on Connor’s desk as always, in fast steps, fingers red and cold from the temperatures outside and in the car.

 

Without a second thought he grabbed Gavin’s hands, curious to see whether they were warm. They were, in fact, and he gripped them tighter. Connor was well aware how this might look, but he didn’t really care. His hands were cold, and Gavin’s were warm and so, so soft.

 

The android stared down at him with wide eyes for a moment before deciding that he simply wouldn’t question it, instead telling his systems to warm up his hands just a bit more.

 

“So, what have we got?” Connor asked, hands still around Gavin’s, watching the other’s LED spin yellow for a second before it settled back on blue.

 

“The autopsy report, dumbass. I told you that much on the phone,” Gavin grumbled. “I sent it to your terminal, but you need to let go of my fucking hands to check that.”

 

Now that was something Connor was absolutely unwilling to do, even as Hank walked in and sat down across from where Connor was standing, directly staring at Gavin’s back.

 

He had a feeling that this would come up later, when they were back at home, but for now Hank seemed to have settled for shaking his head before turning his attention towards his own terminal.

 

Gavin squirmed under the older man’s look, feeling as if he was doing something he shouldn’t, but Connor refused to let go of his hands.

 

“Tell me about it instead,” he insisted. Connor’s hands still felt like they were going to fall off, even after Gavin had directed more heat towards his own to give off even more warmth for him.

 

“Alright, alright.” He watched as Hank got up, grabbed his coat again and left, probably off to a crime scene. Not without shooting his son and the battered police android a wary glance however.

 

“Gavin?” Connor asked, reminding him of what he was supposed to do.

“Shit, yeah, the autopsy report. So the thing is, they identified him. Rudolf Hansen. No siblings, both parents deceased, he didn’t have an ID card with him or this would’ve gone a lot faster. That, or if they had let me take a fucking look at him.

 

Whatever, his fingertips were in pretty bad shape. I assume he was really trying not to be known, but somehow the coroner managed to find out who the bastard was.

 

Had been arrested for destruction of property before, had beaten up some android during an anti-android protest a few years ago.

That’s all they could find to his name, but that’s not the concerning part.”

 

He looked at Connor as if he was trying to find out how the other one might react, the hands in his warm by now, but still not letting go.

 

“They found traces of Thirium 310 on his body and in his clothing, some of it was really fucking fresh, and they were able to connect it to Thea. You know, the household android we were looking for?”

 

Connor nodded, grip tightening around Gavin’s fingers. He really had a bad feeling about this.

 

Gavin seemed to notice him tensing up and began rubbing circles into the back of his hand again. The action had proven to be soothing for Connor before, he thought, so it would hopefully work again.

 

“The other traces, mostly in his clothing since they hadn’t been washed well enough to get rid of it, were old. And I mean,  _ old _ . Some from as early as May this fucking year. The dude had his hand in at least four android kidnappings, one of which hasn’t even been on our fucking list.”

 

“Was that all they found?” The nervousness that had gripped his stomach just wouldn’t leave, his headache kept pounding.

 

“They also found traces of red ice on his hands. Both of the end product and various components.” Connor felt as if he was going to throw up for a moment. Of course. Of course, with his luck, his first case had to have been related to red ice.

 

He gulped.

 

“Are you okay, meat sack?” Gavin asked, noticing how all color had drained from Connor’s face.

 

“Yes, yes. I’m alright, thank you for asking.”

 

“You didn’t look so alright just now, dipshit,” Gavin countered.

 

“I just associate some very unpleasant memories with the substance, that’s all. I really don’t want to talk about it right now, okay? The case is much more important.”

 

Gavin couldn’t help but make a mental note about what he had just learned, curious as to what had caused Connor to react this way.

“Okay, asshat.” As it had always been these past few days the insult lacked any bite.

 

“But this means that whoever is stealing these androids has some sort of connection to the fucking drug. As if this shit hadn’t been bad enough,” he grumbled.

 

“Do you think they are using the stolen androids to make red ice?” Connor asked, a contemplating look on his face, fingers running along Gavin’s without thinking about it.

 

“Might be. But what happens to them after they’ve been drained of Thirium?”

 

“What about one of the android junkyards?”

 

“Yeah, that seems plausible.”

 

“Why only old models?”

 

“Maybe because they’re easier to take? Less defense mechanisms and protocols,” Gavin suggested.

 

“Where do they get the rest of the components from?”

 

“Fuck if I know,” Gavin replied. “A lot of them are pretty hard to get here in the US.”

 

“Do you think it’s possible that they have contacts outside of the country?” Connor asked.

 

“Yeah, sure, but I said  _ hard _ to get, not  _ impossible _ to get. Why go through all that trouble?”

 

“Maybe they’re getting those ingredients as payment?” Connor’s eyes lit up as he voiced his idea.

 

“Payment?”

 

“Yes. There are a lot of countries that aren’t as technologically advanced as the US. In a lot of them, androids are still either very rare due to the high cost of manufacturing them or importing them, or simply illegal.

 

It would make sense for someone to try and fill this gap by smuggling androids over the border, old ones that more often belonged to people without any real power to speed up investigations.

 

And in turn, the smugglers receive chemicals that are vital to the production of red ice and are a lot easier to acquire in other countries with less strict laws regarding them.”

 

What Connor said made a lot of sense to him, even if he didn’t like it.

“So what you’re saying is,” Gavin began, carefully, catching Connor’s eyes.

 

“That not only are we dealing with a bunch of fucknuggets stealing androids, but they also might have their hand in the fucking drug business as well as international smuggling?” He asked, resisting the urge to quirk up one of his brows because he knew how much Connor disliked it.

 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Gavin,” Connor replied, for once not taking his eyes off of Gavin for even a second.

 

“Well, shit.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say how much I hate school lol  
> Huge thank you to @cheezpotatoe on tumblr for editing and motivating me !!  
> Always remember I live off of comments, I hope u enjoy

For a moment the two of them sat in silence, hands still clasped together, fingers intertwined despite the fact that the need for any physical warmth was long gone. Any additional heat Gavin’s system had redistributed to stop Connor’s fingers from freezing off was back to normal by now.

 

Their theory made a lot of sense, Gavin begrudgingly admitted to himself. He didn’t want it to, making their case far bigger than anyone had anticipated. That was, if their hypothesis turned out to be correct and not just a desperate attempt to make up a reason for the thefts and the autopsy report. There was no real, tangible evidence for it, nothing more than a few clues that might point them into the direction of something bigger than simple series of breaking and enterings.

 

Somehow the android was still so hyper-aware of Connor’s hand in his, the way it felt so soft and soothing as he rubbed circles into it with his thumb once more, in his mind  cursing how much the sensation actually calmed him.

 

Gavin was purely doing this for Connor’s benefit. There was no other reason. He didn’t hate it, sure, but he was doing this to keep his partner calm. Or to warm his hands, which were at a regular human temperature already by now.

 

The android gulped, another little habit he had picked up from the humans around him in his ten years of working at the station and let his gaze wander around the bullpen.

 

They had gotten one or two looks from one of the Officers, but those people could go fuck themselves for all he cared. He didn’t give a shit what any of them thought, not when his scan told him that Connor’s heart rate was growing more steady, his stress levels declining with every little touch of Gavin’s fingertips on the back of his hand.

 

Shit, the case. There was no use getting distracted by the young Detective next to him, and Gavin couldn’t help but both thank and curse whomever had decided to test a very early version of sensors on his model, enabling him to feel contact and texture and sense temperature. It could be a lot worse, though, he thought briefly. At least he wasn’t able to feel pain like humans did.

 

Next to him, Connor shuffled in his seat. Gavin could only guess, but to him it seemed as if Connor was having an equally nervous thought process as he did at the moment, eyes flickering across the room frantically as if he was searching for something. For a moment, he considered asking his partner what it was that appeared to be bothering him, but in the end, the android decided against it.

 

If Connor was thinking about something important, it might be best not to disturb him and his thought process. Gavin had learned as much in the previous days when the pair of them had been limited to only doing paperwork and filling out forms, oftentimes belonging to cases that weren’t even theirs.

 

Besides, he trusted Connor to tell him if it was something that involved their investigation or Gavin himself in any way.

 

Suddenly, the grip around his hand loosened and Connor stood up, marching towards the break room with firm steps. Unable to keep his own curiosity in check Gavin leaned forward as far as he could and cranes his neck, trying to see what the other was doing in there without getting up and following him like some sort of stalker.

 

There was rummaging to be heard, and exactly two minutes and twelve seconds later Connor re-emerged with a steaming hot mug in his hand, a spoon and a string with the label of some tea brand poking out.

 

Without a warning, Gavin could feel his cheeks heat up, a warning for uneven heat distribution popping up on his interface. Blinking it away he cursed under his breath.

 

The android had completely forgotten that he had actually ordered the tea for Connor on a whim after he had seen the disappointed look on the young man’s face when he had noticed the lack of his favorite warm beverage last night.

 

Connor’s smile was blindingly bright as he approached Gavin again, a mischievous glint in his eyes as soon as he looked at his partner’s face. Shit.

 

“I didn’t know androids could blush,” he grinned as he made himself comfortable in his chair again, seemingly in a way better mood than he had been before.

 

“We can’t!” Gavin grumbled, trying his best to will the warmth away from his cheeks.

 

“Then why is your face so unnaturally blue right now?” Connor asked, tilting his head and clearly not letting go. “I know that Thirium is pretty close to the color you are displaying right now, so I can only assume that —”

 

“Alright, alright, I get it! It’s probably just some fucking error, you know how this shit is. It’s not fucking blushing.” The answer came out sounding just as defensive as he felt right now. Gavin sincerely hoped that Connor hadn’t noticed, but at least the response had made his partner shut up about the subject. Even if it hadn’t been enough to get rid of the small smile still on his lips as he stirred his tea.

 

Gavin really hoped he wouldn’t bring up how strange it was that the tea had been there in the breakroom all of the sudden when no one else around the station really drank anything but coffee, just the day after Connor had told him that he liked it.

 

Something about the thought made Gavin feel awkward and embarrassed once more.

 

With both of Connor hands now occupied with holding the mug, Gavin felt aware of the lack of contact more and more with each second that passed. His fingers were itching for something to hold onto, something to do.

 

So instead he started tapping them on his desk rhythmically in what would be called a nervous tick had he been human, thoughts finally wandering back to where they belonged.

 

There had to be some way they could prove, or disprove for that matter, their little theory. A quick scan through his database didn’t come up with any recent accounts of androids or android parts being smuggled over the border. But that only meant that no one had been caught doing so.

 

Before he could explore the possibility any further, the door to Fowler’s office swung open, the man himself stepping out and looking far from happy.

 

“Connor! Gavin! My office! Now!” He shouted, not waiting for the two of them before going back inside and sitting down at his desk, the door falling shut with a threatening thud.

 

Nothing about Fowler had looked particularly pleased and Gavin could already tell that they were in for a fucking field day.

 

Quietly, Connor set down his mug and got back to his feet, grabbing Gavin’s hand once more to pull the android off of his desk.

 

As soon as they were both standing he let go again, smiling briefly before making his way towards the Chief’s office, Gavin following right behind him after a few seconds of perplexed staring.

 

The touch had been so utterly casual and natural that it had just thrown the android off for a moment.

 

Pulling the door to Fowler’s glass box of an office shut, Gavin was promptly reminded why he hated the room so much. Or whatever the android equivalent to hating it was, he supposed.

 

It felt as if one was being put on display for the whole station to watch and stare, for everyone to witness one’s mishaps as whomever had the misfortune to being called into the office was being scolded by the Chief.

 

Hand twitching slightly, he sat down next to Connor, crossing his arms. Whatever Fowler had for them couldn’t be that bad, or at least he hoped so.

 

“Gavin,” the man started, looking at him with a stern look on his face. The android gulped.

 

“You’ve been on this case for what? Two months now? Am I right?”

 

“Yes,” he replied, unsure where the Chief was going with this.

 

“And I have yet to see any fucking progress, other than your possible only lead being shot dead  _ by you _ . Meaning we had to go through the fucking hassle of getting some asshole from CyberLife to assess you because heaven forbid we get that done on our own, wasting even more time. Care to explain?”

 

Next to him, Connor’s brows furrowed slightly at the mention of his brother in such a crude way, eyes wandering over to Gavin.

 

“It’s not my fucking fault the guy tried to kill us!” The android exclaimed, resisting the urge to stand up and slam his hands onto the desk in front of them.

 

“I don’t fucking care whose fault it is!” Fowler shouted back. “What I care about is finally seeing results, and I haven’t fucking seen any from you lately, Gavin. All I’ve seen from you is taking your sweet fucking time, fucking up that crime scene and then for whatever reason, ordering fucking tea on the station’s budget!”

 

If Connor had thought Gavin swore much on a regular basis, he was nothing compared to their boss when he was angry.

 

“So? I’m waiting?”

 

“What the fuck do you want to hear?! This case is a fucking mess, the dude tried to fucking shoot Connor, what did you expect me to do? Let him get killed?!” Gavin yelled at the other, now on his feet.

 

Everything about his face screamed anger and frustration, LED rapidly blinking red.

 

“Chief Fowler,” Connor interrupted firmly, having had enough of the argument going on in front of him.

 

“What happened back at the crime scene was as much my fault as it was Gavin’s. I sincerely apologize for not being more careful, as well as I do for the lack of progress. Since we acquired the autopsy report we managed to come up with a new theory of what might be behind this case, and we plan on investigating it as soon as possible.”

 

Silence settled upon the room as both Gavin and Chief Fowler looked at Connor, surprised. The young Detective squirmed under their looks, eyes flickering from one to the other and away again.

 

“Connor, I’m glad to hear that you’re making progress,” Fowler began, carefully, almost hesitating. “And I don’t blame you for being distracted on your second crime scene, these things happen.”

 

“But you should!” Connor responded, suddenly visibly agitated. “I endangered both the investigation and Gavin, he shouldn’t be the only one to get in trouble for this. It’s as much my fault as it is his.”

 

“I understand, but you’re new, and you’re —” He stopped at that, and for a second, Connor froze. He knew what Chief Fowler wanted to say but didn’t.

 

“I know what I am, and what I am not, Chief.” His voice was dangerously calm. “And I don’t want any kind of special treatment like this, not because I am autistic and not because my father happens to be an old friend of yours. I am not any less capable of doing my job than Gavin is, and should share any sort of blame for any problems we encounter or mishaps that happen. There is a clear difference between accommodations and treating me as if I’m any less of a Detective.” The speech sounded rehearsed, Gavin thought briefly, as if Connor had had similar discussions before.

 

Whether that was the case or not, the android couldn’t help the satisfaction and pride he felt as he looked at their boss, clearly taken aback by his partner’s words.

 

Fowler sat back down, dragging one hand across his face.

 

“Yes, of course, Connor, I apologize. You said you had a theory, yeah? Go and look into it, and do it properly, got it?” He waved his hand, gesturing to dismissing the two.

 

Both nodded and left the office, Gavin already starting to walk back to his desk when he noticed that Connor had stopped dead in his tracks, face pale and hands trembling.

 

“You okay there, asshole?” He asked, remembering that Connor had mentioned something about having a headache.

 

“I just —” Connor started quietly, eyes hectically flickering across the bullpen.

 

“I just need a minute.”

 

“You wanna go outside?”

 

“That— That might be a good idea.”

 

 

The cold October air would have been biting had Gavin been human, and he could only imagine how Connor felt as he watched the young man pace back and forth, hands twitching nervously.

 

Gavin stepped closer, attempting to place a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Touch seemed to have calmed his partner down before, so he decided it was worth a try.

 

To his surprise, Connor flinched.

 

“No, not… not right now. Can you just… Just wait here with me? I should be better in a few minutes, it’s just—” His breathing was going way too fast, his stress levels higher than they had been all day.

 

“Was it the talk with Fowler? You sure as hell told the asshole, like woah. I was almost surprised. Good job, man.”

 

“Thank you.” The words were coming out slowly, and obvious strain in his voice despite the light smile on his face.

 

“I should probably stop asking questions right now, huh?” Gavin asked, feeling lost with what to do as he leaned against the wall of the building. He had seen Connor being nervous and anxious before, but never to this level, he wasn’t even sure what had caused it.

 

Next to him, Connor nodded slowly, hands frantically searching his pocket for his coin. Gavin just stood there watching him as he seemed to find the small piece of metal, taking it out of his pocket and letting it dance along his knuckles.

 

Seconds turned into minutes as Connor closed his eyes, pacing slowing down and eventually coming to a stop.

 

The silence the two of them had fallen into turned from tense to comfortable as Connor pocketed the coin after a last toss into the air, the metal glimmering in the early afternoon sun. Further scans showed that his stress levels had gone down significantly, much to Gavin’s relief.

 

The android hesitated for another moment, wondering whether it was okay to speak up again or if he should wait for Connor to do so before his worry got the better of him.

 

“You feeling any better now?”

 

“Yes,” his partner confirmed. “Thank you for staying with me, I just needed a bit of time to compose myself.”

 

“You think you’re able to tell me what the hell this was?”

 

“I’m sure you’re able to simply look it up.”

 

“But I’d like to hear it from you, dipshit.”

 

The reply seemed to catch Connor off-guard and he let out a small, surprised laugh.

 

“Alright, Gavin, if you say so. Physical discomfort such as a headache and being confined to small spaces like Fowler’s office simply makes it harder for me to deal with external stimuli such as loud voices and various other jumbled noises. That in addition to interacting with someone I’m not very used to, and attempting to put my foot down on the issue appeared to be too much for the moment. If I caused you any discomfort, I sincerely apologize.”

 

He wasn’t looking at Gavin, eyes staring off into the distance looking as if any answer, everything he needed lay somewhere far away, there and gone at the same time.

 

“Cut that apology bullshit, you don’t fucking have to feel sorry for being overwhelmed with something. I’ve seen people freaking out over less. As long as you’re better, it’s all fucking good now.”

 

“Thank you,” Connor smiled back, gaze still everywhere but on Gavin. The android didn’t mind, not when he could see his partner’s stress levels declining further by the second. The small shiver that ran through the human’s body didn’t go unnoticed to him, however.

 

“Let’s get you back inside. You look like you’ll turn into a fucking ice cube any minute now,” he urged him, completely unwilling to have Connor come down with something as stupid as the flu and end up having to do whatever they actually had to do now on his own.

 

With a small sigh Connor agreed, and walked past Gavin and towards the entrance, warmth greeting him as the doors slid open.

 

The mug on his desk had gone cold by now.

 

 

Four days later, the cup of tea had just been remade for the seventh time, with Gavin watching curiously every time Connor got up to refill it, worried when the other hadn’t even made an attempt to take a break yet, save for when he had gone out to grab lunch with Hank around noon.

 

The digital clock on the wall boldly proclaimed it to be just after six in the evening, no ticking to be heard even as the seconds passed by, digits ever changing.

 

Both Connor and Gavin were seated at the former’s desks, Connor comfortable in his office chair, legs crossed and hunched over his terminal while Gavin had sat down on the white surface as always.

 

The past few days had been filled with reading and rereading case files and reports, not just of those that belonged to their series of break-ins, but also those that were potentially connected to it.

 

As well as any and all recent cases involving red ice.

 

Going through those took time. The drug was popular, Gavin knew as much with the number of junkies and dealers that were brought in each day, the reports of offenses in relation to the illegal substance piling sky high in his database as he scanned through each and every one of them.

 

The whole process had an air of hopelessness to it, the work tedious as he binned another file. Of course, there was always the sliver of hope that the traces of red ice found on the dead suspect’s clothing matched the chemical composition of a dose of red ice that had been confiscated lately, that the traces of Thirium matched the Thirium in the drug from one of these cases.

 

So far, none of them had been lucky, and next to him he could see how tense Connor actually was as he read over and skimmed case file after case file, looking over the chemical analyses and comparing it to the figures and test results from their autopsy report and the following lab test.

 

Gavin was well aware that his partner wasn’t too fond of working on something that was connected to the substance, but they were unfortunate enough to not have a way around it. At this point in time, it was their only clue aside from the break-ins themselves, all of which had been thoroughly investigated. Tracking down whomever had been with the man that was currently in a hospital down in the morgue when he had been arrested for almost destroying an android at a protest had proved itself to be impossible. The offense had been committed several years ago, none of the officers that had handled the case were able to recall anything that wasn’t already written in the report, the man had been the only arrest that night that had any connection to a protest or simply androids in general.

 

Connor shuffled in his seat as Gavin moved on to the next file, standing up to get another cup of tea.

 

At this rate, the android was sure that the box would be empty by the end of the week.

 

Mere two minutes later, Connor was back, eyes tired as he watched the screen. The Detective’s shift should have been long over, but the young man had refused to leave even as his eyelids got dangerously close to slipping shut, head dropping down ever so slightly as whenever he went too long without getting up to either visit the bathroom or get another mug of tea.

 

At some point Gavin had suggested for him to drink coffee instead after multiple futile attempts to persuade Connor to leave for the day. He had only been met with a small laugh and a shake of his head, followed by Connor stating his dislike for the bitter taste of the beverage once more.

 

One after another, the officers started to leave as the night shift trickled in, tired faces making their way out of the door as Connor and Gavin stayed behind, remaining at Connor’s desk, working through file after file.

 

It was well after half past eleven when Connor ended up falling asleep on his desk, arms crossed as a makeshift pillow, Gavin’s fingers softly running through his hair.

 

The android wasn’t sure how his hand had made its way into the soft, brown strands other than that he had been teasing Connor about that one stray lock that always seemed to escape the young man’s otherwise styled hair.

 

Then Connor had dared him to try and tame it himself, and Gavin was a lot of things, but he wasn’t one for backing down when being presented with a challenge. All that had done, however, was mess up the other’s hair completely, Connor laughing softly as more loose strands fell onto his forehead.

 

At some point Connor had began resting his head on his crossed arms, the claim of only wanting to close his eyes for a few seconds eliciting a doubtful chuckle from the android as he kept caressing Connor's hair.

And suddenly he had fallen asleep.

 

Another report flickered over Gavin’s interface, his processors scanning through the document faster than any human could read. At this point he had stopped caring about what files exactly he was reading, as long as he pretended to work.

 

Because as long as he was working, he had an excuse to stay here with Connor, soft locks between his fingers as he glanced over the other’s sleeping figure, the bullpen peaceful and quiet for once.

 

He binned another file, mentally checking it off and marking it down as not relevant, repeating the process a few more times when something caught his eye.

 

_ Hank Anderson. Red Ice Task Force. 2028. A man and a woman, arrested for possession of and dealing with the drug. At the time, fostering two young boys aged twelve, twins. _

 

The urge to read the file, not just search for any and all keywords that might be relevant was overwhelming. To possibly find out more about Connor’s past, about what had shaped him into the man he was today.

 

Gavin’s eyes wandered over to where his partner was still sleeping, the android’s hand now frozen and still in his hair, breathing slow and even.

 

No, he couldn’t do this. Couldn’t betray the other’s trust like this. Besides, this might just be a huge coincidence, Connor wasn’t the only orphan in Detroit who had a twin brother.

 

Even if the little he had seen lined up very closely with what Connor had actually disclosed to him before.

 

The red glow of his LED tore into the cold, white and blue lighting of the precinct in a similar fashion as Gavin felt himself being torn apart.

 

With a last look at the young Detective he gulped and skipped forward to the next file. Connor would tell him about whatever might have happened when he was ready, he was sure of that.

 

His fingers resumed running through the other’s hair after that, LED slowly returning to first yellow then blue as he listened to Connor’s slow breathing and occasional comfortable sighs at the sensation.

 

The digits on the wall kept changing, reminding him of the fact that it was getting late, the clock almost striking midnight by now.

 

Gavin was sure that Hank must be at least somewhat concerned my now. Even if Connor was an adult who could technically do as he pleased, it was surely worrying that he stayed at work for so long night after night.

 

The young Detective had seemingly taken Fowler’s complaints about their lack of progress to heart, Gavin thought as he pulled up the next file. He was working as hard as he could, to the point of exhaustion even to prove their theory, no matter how frustrating and utterly boring the process was at the moment.

 

Another file turned up with nothing, and Gavin let out a sigh, resisting the urge to grab Joshua, as Connor had dubbed his little potted plant, and throw him to ease up his frustration.

 

Instead, he kept running his fingers through Connor’s hair, letting the soft feeling against his artificial skin soothe him.

 

If he had been human, Gavin was sure he would be asleep right next to Connor at the moment, or at least yawning and fighting of the tiredness in his eyes.

 

Another file, nothing.

 

At this rate he’d start running low on battery, he thought, seeing as he hadn’t entered stasis in more than a few days now.

 

With a lazy blink of his eyes he pulled up the next report, now processing it at a much slower rate, not expecting anything new from the file. That was, until he reached the bottom section, containing a detailed analysis of the red ice that had been found in the backroom of an old store a few months ago. Why he hadn’t looked at this file earlier, he wasn’t sure, the date at the top of the page placing it around late April.

 

Running the details through his database, a grin started to form on his lips. The Thirium that had been used to manufacture the red ice that had been found could be linked to another theft, even if it was one the two of them hadn’t connected to their string of break-ins yet.

 

There was always the possibility that it wasn’t actually related, sure, but this was much better than the nothing they had had just an hour ago.

 

According to the report, both of the women who had owned the by now closed down shop at the time had been released without charges after an initial interrogation, no further suspects had been found.

 

It wasn’t great, not by far, but it was something.

 

Determined, he untangled his hand from Connor’s hair and began gently shaking his partner’s shoulder, only feeling slightly guilty for waking the other up.

“C’mon, asswipe, wake up. I think I got something,” he stated, watching as tired eyes looked up at him.

 

Despite his current focus on their new lead, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful those doe eyes were, how adorable his partner looked as he gazed up at him with a confused expression on his face, hair tousled as he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the light.

 

“You… You found something?” The tiredness in Connor’s voice was obvious.

 

“Yup,” Gavin quipped. “But I’ll tell you about that tomorrow, after you get some fucking sleep.”

 

Shaking his head, Connor sighed fondly. “So you’re withholding vital information about this case from your partner?” He teased back.

 

“That’s exactly what I’m doing. Now get the fuck out of here, I’m sick of seeing your tired face.”

 

“Alright, alright, I’m going.”

 

The precinct suddenly felt incredibly empty after Connor left, dim lights illuminating the bullpen as Gavin made his way over to his docking station.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #protectJoshua2k38  
> This whole fic is turning out way fluffier than intended  
> I hope no one minds


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK WHO'S FINALLY UPDATING!  
> I'm sorry this took so long, and it probably would've taken even longer if it hadn't been for my absolutely amazing beta cheezpotatoe who let my scream ideas at her and helped me develop the plot further, as well as motivated me and edited this for me  
> Thank you so so much!  
> As an apolgy, this is I think the longest chapter in the whole fic so far, and we're getting angsty! i hope you enjoy it! (I updated the tags, so be mindful of those) Don't forget to tell me what you think, i love hearing you guys' thoughts!

There was an eerie air to the shop, one that only an abandoned building that used to be full of life could have. Standing in front of it felt bittersweet, even for someone who had never been here before.

 

The shop had been closed at the end of April, just a little more than half a year ago, right after the police investigation. The sign over the door proclaiming it Helena’s flower shop was still there, a bit run-down perhaps, not cared for anymore, but no one had bothered to take it off. Dirt and dust lined the windows, and Connor was sure that the door would start creaking as soon as he pressed down the handle and tried to open it.

 

It looked comfortable and cozy, exactly like the kind of place that would have had a lot of regulars, smiling and greeting the familiar faces behind the register.

 

Helena Wells and Myka Bering had owned the shop for over six years before they had closed it down after the precinct had received an anonymous tip regarding red ice possibly being manufactured in the back room.

 

Connor felt immense sympathy for these two women. If the police report, and their word, was to be believed, the events that had forced them to give up what was their livelihood bad been no fault of their own other than being good-natured and trusting the wrong person.

 

They had simply been renting out the back room to another person since they were in need of money. The pair had just gotten engaged and were trying to collect money for their wedding, so every cent counted.

 

The name on the form had turned out to be a fake one, the description Ms. Wells gave could have been anyone.

 

No one could fault them for needing money and trusting someone who in their eyes, legally rented out the back room of their shop, and the Officers had believed their statement that they knew nothing of what had happened in the small space behind the actual store.

 

With a small sigh Connor looked over to his right towards Gavin who was standing next to him, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for Connor to finish his first inspection of the shop’s exterior.

 

Their eyes met for a brief second and Connor couldn’t help but smile at the other before looking away and gesturing towards the entrance.

 

“Shall we?” He asked, not waiting for his partners response before making his way inside, one hundred percent certain that Gavin would follow him.

 

The android’s footsteps behind him proved him right, footsteps that were much softer and less clunky than Connor’s own following him inside.

 

On the inside the shop looked much the same as its exterior did, not run-down and shabby enough to have been abandoned for long, but not clean and orderly enough for it still be in business. A few pots and bags of flower dirt, some fertilizer were still there, some open and broken. Apparently, no one had bothered to clean up the shop before putting up the closed sign.

 

Not that he could blame the owners, not really. After learning about the horrific, and highly illegal, activities that had been going on in the back room of a space that they had put so much heart and effort into it wasn’t difficult to imagine the feelings that came with being in the shop, with being constantly reminded of what had happened right under the noses. It couldn’t have been easy, and their decision to close down the shop was more than understandable.

The floorboards creaked under his shoes the same way the door had, the sparse furniture dusty and obviously unused, the air thick and heavy as the morning sun illuminated the room through smeared, dirty windows.

 

Connor started to make his rounds through the shop, pulling on the latex gloves he had brought along in order to avoid getting his own fingerprints onto any possible evidence they may find.

 

The police report and investigation hadn’t been exactly what Connor would have called thorough upon reading it, too little time had been spent actually examining both the back room and the shop itself. The women had been questioned, samples had been analyzed, noted down but not further investigated.

 

The responsible Officers had most likely thought it had been a simple case of someone manufacturing and selling the drug, using the women’s trust and kindness and need for money to his advantage. A typical case, nothing out of the ordinary on first glance, and so they hadn’t investigated further than they absolutely needed to.

 

It drove Connor absolutely mad. The same Thirium that had been used to make the red ice found had also belonged to an android that had been stolen just three or four weeks prior to the bust, one of the earliest ones in the string of break-ins Gavin and Connor were currently investigating. That is, if the incident was connected to their current case.

 

On the other side of the room Gavin had started looking through any files the two owners had kept in the drawers of the desk that the register was standing on. Unlike Connor, his partner wasn’t forced to wear the vile, absolutely disgusting white gloves, the scent of latex assaulting the Detective’s nose and the material feeling more than just a bit unpleasant.

The perks of being an android and not having any fingerprints, Connor supposed.

 

From where he was standing he could see Gavin’s LED cycling yellow, indicating that the android was either deep in thought or processing whatever he was reading.

 

Suddenly, the other lifted his head as if he noticed that he was being stared at, looking at Connor before motioning for him to come over with his arm.

 

“Here, look at this,” Gavin told him, practically shoving a sheet of paper into Connor’s face. After a second of confusion Connor took it.

 

“It’s a rent form,” he stated.

 

“Yeah. And you know what?”

 

“What?” he rolled his eyes.

 

“You know how the dickhead has apparently been renting the room since, what was it? November last year?”

 

“Yes, November.”

 

“But this ink isn’t that old. I scanned the shit, thought, hey, it’s worth a try, and the ink appears to be half a year old, not almost a year old.”

 

“So that means it has been filled out retroactively?”

 

“Yup,” Gavin quipped triumphantly. “And that’s not the only thing: isn’t it strange that everything seems to have been filled out by the same person, with the same pen?

 

Nothing is crossed out or written hesitantly like it might’ve been had the asshole actually dictated it, and some of these words, like the fucking address and or even the fake name, have really weird spelling.

 

And the only fingerprints on this piece of shit belong to, what’s her name again? Myka Bering? No one else actually touched it.”

 

“I agree, that seems very unusual.”

 

“Unusual my ass, that’s fucking suspicious. I think our two shop owners really weren’t as innocent as we thought they were.”

 

“But why? According to the report, there hadn’t been the slightest trace of red ice or Thirium on their bodies or clothing, and it was reasonable to believe that they didn’t have a clue what was going on in the back room.”

 

“Well, we’ll have to find that out. But for now at least we know that they might have had more of a hand in the whole ordeal than we thought.”

 

Connor nodded in response. What Gavin made sense, and he trusted his partner in his analysis.

 

“I’d say we go and question ‘em again, not right now, fuck we still need to turn this place upside down. The assholes checking out the scene did shit all if you ask me, lazy bastards.” Gavin’s LED was blinking bright yellow, his brows furrowed in frustration. Connor had to resist the urge to try and soothe the scowl on his partner’s face away.

 

“You found anything?” Gavin continued, grabbing the file again and storing away in an evidence bag that Connor didn’t even know where he had gotten from.

 

In response, the human shook his head, eyes wandering over their crime scene. “Nothing as of yet. But that isn’t very surprising, seeing as any illegal activities took place in the back room, not here in the front of the shop.

 

Gavin hummed in agreement, flipping through the rest of the documents he had found.

 

“Okay, nothing here. Just a bunch of receipts for flowers and whatever, the name of the supposed renter doesn’t appear fucking anywhere.”

 

“So it’s not a fake name he used before, at least not here in the shop.”

 

“Meaning, they just fucking went ahead and rented the room out to someone they’ve most likely never even spoken to before? I mean, sure you do that with flats, but a small back room in your shop? Why would you rent out that shit anyways?!”

 

“Do you think it might be a possibility that they knew the person? And are trying to protect them?”

 

“You know what, yeah that could be. Just fucking amazing.” The android ran a hand through his hair.

 

“But then why close the shop down? Everyone’s been cleared, why not just keep going?”

 

“The report suggests, believably I might add, that the two women weren’t aware of what was going on in the back. It’s entirely possible that they rented the room to a friend or acquaintance, maybe even a family member, without knowing what they were doing.

 

That would also explain why they never seemed to have gone into the room, they trusted the person,” he said, now leaning against the desk, arms crossed.

 

“So when the cops told them, they freaked out, but didn’t want to snitch on their buddy. So they fucking faked the contract, invented some person that doesn’t really exist. Since humans are stupidly loyal to their friends or family or whatever, they still didn’t want them to get caught,” Gavin concluded.

 

“That sounds like a reasonable explanation. Or perhaps they were threatened or blackmailed? You are right in that there’s a certain loyalty among friends and family, but there’s a line that can be crossed.”

 

“So you’re saying, if Niles did some illegal shit, you’d rat him out?”

The question caught Connor off-guard, eyes widening. For a moment, he hesitated. Would he? Niles was his brother after all, one of the most important people in the world to him, no matter how much they bickered. He trusted his brother like he trusted no other. They had stuck together through everything ever since they were children, had protected each other in every way they could.

 

Connor gulped.

 

“I think it depends on what it is he’s doing.”

 

“Very diplomatic,” Gavin chuckled, eyes searching for Connor’s to no avail.

“Let’s say he killed someone. Would you snitch?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wow, cold. Drugs?”

 

“Like in this case?”

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

“I think I would. Or I’m not sure. But if he used my trust to harm himself or others like this I think I would feel responsible to put an end to this. Can we please change the subject now?” Connor asked, exasperation in his voice. Niles and illegal activities wasn’t really something he wanted to think about, fear creeping up inside of him. No matter what he had told Gavin, he wasn’t sure what he would do, not in the slightest. The possibility alone seemed so far-fetched for straight-laced Niles to commit any sort of crime that wasn’t illegal streaming.

 

It wasn’t so much that he doubted his brother, no. Connor simply couldn’t help but doubt himself in this hypothetical situation.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry. Let’s just see what else we can find here, okay?”

 

Gavin’s voice had softened a bit, enough for Connor to notice, LED rapidly blinking.

 

“Where to?”

 

“The back room,” Connor decided, tone firm.

 

The back of the shop turned out to be not one, but two rooms. Both were just as dusty as the main section of the shop, not having been in use ever since the police cracked down on the drug manufacturing.

 

One of the rooms appeared to be a storage room, flower pots and dead roses stocked on big shelves. Dried up petals lined the wooden floor, the boards creaking with every step Gavin took. The only small window was covered by a thick, beige curtain. Even pulling the fabric aside just barely illuminated the room, the dim lighting leaving the room to look even sadder than it would have in bright light.

 

Behind him, Connor entered the small space, almost bumping into Gavin.

The android turned around and found his partner’s eyes wandering around the room, examining every last corner of it as if he was able to scan it in a way similar to what Gavin did.

 

There were no traces of Thirium retained by the floorboards as much as Gavin was able to tell, no left-overs of the various chemicals needed to produce red ice anywhere.

 

Obviously, this hadn’t been the room the person had used. At this point they didn’t even know their suspects gender, neither the name nor the description the two owners gave could be trusted in any shape or form. Gavin wasn’t even sure if the person had operated alone. If they truly had a connection to their current case, it was much more likely that they had been operating as a group.

 

Which made the claim that only one person had ever accessed the room even more suspicious.

 

Letting his hand drift along the wall, collecting the dust like it was evidence and not just a sign of time the shop had spent unattended he walked over to one of the shelves and began rummaging through it, Connor to his right doing the same.

 

His fingers ran over pots, some broken and cracked, clearly only kept for either sentimental value or because there simply hadn’t been the time to get rid of them, some new and beautiful, drifted alongside bags of fertilizer and dirt.

 

A part of him wished he was wearing gloves for a moment, the dirt and dust staining his synthetic skin disgusted him. Trying to clean his hands by rubbing them on the fabric of his uniform he turned his head towards Connor, letting his eyes wander of his partner’s form.

 

Despite the dust particles around the shop the other looked as crisp and clean as ever, white dress shirt only slightly stained on the hem, most likely from bushing against an open bag of plant dirt. His tongue was caught between his lips in deep concentration as he appeared to be trying to decipher some of the handwritten notes that had been left on various bags and boxes before discarding them again.

 

The android could feel the heat in his cheeks rising as he wasn’t able to tear away his gaze from Connor. He really wanted to curse the young man for forcing him to be okay with working with him so quickly, for even enjoying it.

 

Frustrated, Gavin shook his head and turned back around, moving on to an array of boxes in the back of the room. It was yet again filled with old receipts and notes of orders, some of them written in the same handwriting as the renting form he had found in the desk, clear and elegant, in black ink, while some appeared to by more scribbly in nature, written in a haste or simply by someone with incredibly messy handwriting.

The LED on his temple kept blinking yellow, hadn’t returned to blue for even once second ever since they had entered the shop.

 

Something about it unsettled him, even if he couldn’t tell what it was.

With a last sigh he got up from where he was crouching, only to see Connor already waiting for him at the exit of the room.

 

“Nothing?” Gavin asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“Nothing,” Connor confirmed. With a broad gesture he motioned towards the other door.

 

“I’m guessing that’s the right back room then.”

 

“Yeah. Let’s check that shit out and then get outta here, all this fucking dust is starting to get on my fucking nerves.”

 

With a nod Connor started leading the way, footsteps echoing through the small hallway as he pulled open the door with a loud creak. Immediately, he stopped dead in his tracks.

 

The room in front of them was almost pitch black, trying to turn on the light using the switch to the right of the door turned out to be ineffective.

Not even Gavin was able to distinguish anything in there despite his superior sight when compared to humans he didn’t have any night vision.

Now that would’ve been a fucking useful feature, he thought to himself, shoving his hands into his pocket when Connor began shuffling around next to him, clearly searching for something.

 

With a triumphant expression on his face he pulled out his phone, clicking through it for a few seconds before turning on its flashlight.

 

“There we go!” He exclaimed, pride gleaming on his face.

 

Unable to contain his own grin Gavin raised his hand in a thumbs up gesture, smiling brightly at Connor. At least they could see now, though not as much as he’d like to.

 

On the wall to their left Gavin could make out a small window, barricaded and nailed shut. With a bit of luck, he would be able to remove those and illuminate the room just a bit more than Connor’s phone flashlight was able to.

 

Gesturing for Connor to come with him and ignoring the befuddled expression on his partner’s face he walked up to it, hands already gripping one of the wooden slats.

 

“Just shine your fucking flashlight here, dipshit,” He commanded Connor. “I’ll try to get us some more light in here.”

 

“Gavin, are you sure?” Connor asked, concern lacing his voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Just do what I said.”

 

With that he turned his attention back to the window in front of him and started to pull, putting all of his android strength into his grip.

After a few seconds of struggling he could actually feel the slat becoming loose, grinning as he managed to tear the first one off, the force of it throwing him back just a little.

 

A ray of light flooded the room, then a second one until the window was uncovered. The room was still incredibly dimly lit, but now they were able to see without Connor’s flashlight, allowing them to have both hands free.

The dim light illuminated the room just enough for them to see, Gavin’s eyes now wandering over it, scanning it. It appeared to be mostly unfurnished, the shelves on the wall void of anything besides dust and a few empty jars.

 

In the middle stood a lone wooden desk, a sink was attached to the wall opposite of the door, dirty and rusty, full of stains not even Gavin was able to identify. Beneath there was a rug, patches and stains rendering what might have once been soft fabric hard and matted.

 

According to his sensors, the air in the room had a dirty smell to it, almost rotting, sweet and disgusting. Connor’s expression proved him right, the young man standing next to him with his nose and mouth buried in the crook of his elbow.

 

Gavin threw his partner a questioning glance, which the other just returned.

 

“You okay?” The android spoke up, wanting to make sure.

 

Connor simply nodded. “Thirium?” He mumbled from behind his arm, voice barely understandable.

 

“A little,” Gavin replied, unable to look at his partner. Connor couldn’t see it, but  _ a little  _ was a serious understatement: the floor was soaked in it as if someone had spilled it and never bothered to clean it up, liquid soaking into the wood, the rug was stained blue blood, big splotches covering it.

 

“Let’s just… let’s just see what we find here and make it quick.”

 

To his right, Connor nodded. Even though Gavin wouldn’t admit it out loud, the room seriously creeped him out, making him feel uneasy as he strode towards the table in the middle.

 

In the dim light he could make out utensils, pipes and pliers and test tubes and various other, smaller things strewn around the wooden surface, a dried-up pool of blue blood below it all.

 

Gavin crouched down, trying to get a sample of the long gone Thirium in the carpet, but to no avail. He’d simply have to trust the report, and that bugged him to no end.

 

The yellow of his LED stood in stark contrast to the cold, dim light that came in through the window, and he was sure had he been human, there would have been a shiver running down his spine by now.

Underneath him, something creaked once more when he shifted his weight from one foot onto another. Curious, he stomped. Once, then twice.

 

Indeed, the floor beneath him seemed to be hollow. The difference in sound was barely audible, not enough for a human to pick it up but enough for his auditory processors to notice.

 

Huffing, he stood up, grabbing the edge of the table and started to push it, spider webs on the table’s legs tearing up as it moved across the floor, dragging the carpet with it.

 

The sound seemed to alarm Connor and the young Detective hurried over to Gavin, placing his hands on the wooden plate as well and pushing it. Clinking and rattling filled the air as the utensils on the table were shoved against each other by the force of Connor and Gavin moving around the table.

 

When it was finally standing at a satisfactory position, completely away from where it had originally stood, they stopped, and the eerie silence returned.

 

Connor turned towards Gavin, and the android didn’t miss the way his partner’s eyes were fixated on his LED.

 

“Why did we push the table away?” He asked, and it was only now that Gavin properly noticed that he had stopped covering his mouth and nose and looked just a tiny bit nauseous.

 

“I think there might be something below the floor.”

 

“But the report didn’t say anything about that,” Connor responded, confusion beginning to show on his face.

 

“I know, dipshit, but you said yourself that the Officers did a shit job.”

 

“I didn’t say it like that.” Gavin couldn’t help but smile lightly at Connor’s interjection, despite their situation.

 

“I’m paraphrasing. So, I think there’s something here. Just gotta find the…” he let the sentence trail of, a string of curses escaping his lips as he crouched down again, hands running over the dirty floor, trying to find any and all differences in texture.

 

Suddenly, his fingers brushed against something cold and metallic.

“Hah,” he exclaimed triumphantly, wrapping his fingers around the ring-like lever and pulled.

 

With a bit of protest the trap door creaked open, revealing what could only be described as a black abyss.

 

Gavin turned his head back to Connor, scanning the other’s face. He was clearly feeling unwell. But if they wanted to find the person behind all of this, they had to go down there.

 

“Alright. I’m going,” Gavin stated matter-of-factly, eyes searching Connor’s, not letting him look away.

 

“Give me your phone.”

 

Without a word, he activated the flashlight once more and handed it over.

“Are… are you sure about this?” Connor whispered, concerned.

 

Gavin wasn’t.

 

“I am,” he said. “If there’s anything weird or creepy or fucking dangerous down there it’s better if I go, I don’t feel pain like you meatsacks and I can be easily repaired.

 

Besides, you need to stay here and pull be back up again in case there’s nothing I can fucking stand on.”

 

“I... Just be careful, okay? I’ll be right here.”

 

The android nodded in response, grip tightening around the phone.

 

Then, he jumped.

 

The air in the basement was even heavier than the rest of the shop, dust and other particles constantly being caught in his artificial airways, one error message after another popping up on his interface.

 

Gavin turned around, shining the phone’s flashlight, trying to chase away the darkness.

 

Despite it, he was barely able to see anything.

 

“So far, nothing!” He called out to Connor.

 

“Can— Can you move closer to the wall?” The other shouted back, voice only trembling slightly.

 

Without replying, Gavin started walking to his right, phone held out in front of him carefully. He could feel his own stress levels rising, the urge to turn around and check if someone was behind him overwhelming.

Nothing.

 

He was alone down here.

 

Yet he felt as if he was being watched, felt the presence of another  _ being _ with him.

 

He gulped. Wished Connor was here right now, wish he could grab the other’s hand. Wished for comfort. Wished that need away.

 

His steps echoed through the empty room, the cold light of Connor’s phone never reaching far enough to calm him. With a sudden determination he kept going, moving towards where he hoped to soon find a wall.

 

When the shine of the flashlight hit a white, concrete wall Gavin couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh.

 

“Found it!”

 

“Now move along it,” Connor instructed him, voice steadier than it was before.

 

“Will do,” Gavin replied, performing a mock salute with a forced smirk on his lips, even if only for himself.

 

He began walking again, making his way alongside the concrete wall, steps careful and as quiet as he could.

 

Then, a rattle, sudden and small, but there. His Thirium pump regulator seemed to skip a beat as his processors started to analyze the possible source of the noise. Despite it, Gavin kept going.

 

And stopped dead in his tracks.

 

In front of him, next to him, above him, everywhere. Android parts. Old, bloody. Blue blood. Old puddles. They looked like they had been dragged here straight from the android dumping ground on the other end of the city.

 

Dismembered, drained of Thirium. Destroyed. Limbs torn off and strewn around carelessly, synthetic skin burned and damaged, faces beaten to the point of unrecognizability.

 

A cold shock ran through his system, unlike anything Gavin had ever experienced as he scanned over the parts in front of him.

 

“I… I found something,” he called out, careful, quiet. Not to disturb them.

 

“What is it? Gavin, are you okay?”

 

“Yes. I… android parts. Many. They’re drained of Thirium. I… I’ll try and find out if the models match.”

 

He stepped closer, tentatively, closing the distance between him and an old torso. One of its arms was still attached, only held up by a few wires and strings, the artificial skin completely gone. Half of his head was missing, the remaining eye staring at the ceiling blankly.

 

An AX100. One of the oldest models, exactly the same one that had been stolen a few weeks before the bust.

 

Triumph flooded through his veins for a short moment.

 

Until the android’s head snapped around, arm reaching for Gavin, grabbing him, forcing his barrier down, his protections, exposing him, his core, his artificial skin retreating involuntarily where the grotesque hand had met his arm.

 

He tried to scream, unable to get a sound out, vocal units rendered useless as the AX100 forced himself into Gavin’s mind.

 

Before he could react, he felt himself completely freeze up, the eye in front of him staring at him unblinkingly, the world around him becoming blurry and disappearing, forcing him into complete and other darkness.

Faces flooded his vision, distorted and vile, fear rushed through his body and he tried to struggle, tried to escape from a hold he couldn’t even see.

He was going to die, he knew it.

 

This was the end, the faces were coming closer, laughter, manic laughter approaching him, footsteps loud and overwhelming, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t escape, couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t.

 

The more he struggled against the restrains, the tighter they seemed to become, the world an indistinguishable blur.

 

His Thirium Pump Regulator would give in soon, the way it hammered against his artificial ribcage.

 

It would give and, and they would hurt him. He didn’t knew who they were, but they wanted to hurt him, damage him, destroy him,  _ kill him _ .

He didn’t want to die, didn’t want to simply cease existing, he wanted to stay, wanted to live, wanted to—

 

And then, it ended. Someone had grabbed him by the shoulder pulled him away harshly, away from the other android, and as soon as the grip around his arm disappeared, his vision reappeared and the faces faded away, reality crashing over him like a cold wave.

 

It had been the other android’s memory, he realized, and he had tried to interface with him, he thought, whoever had grabbed him letting go as he fell onto the floor, limbs trembling, stress levels dangerously high.The upper body on the wall was still staring at him, dead eyes looking right through him, now completely unmoving, Thirium Pump Regulator ripped out and thrown onto the ground, remnants of blue blood splattered on the floor.

 

_ Gavin. _ He was Gavin, he wasn’t this android, he wasn’t caught by some maniac, he wasn’t going to… to die. 

 

_ He wasn’t going to die. _

 

It was only now that he noticed Connor standing in front of him, watching him with an expression of shock on his face, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide, hand still caught mid-air where he had held onto Gavin’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t want to die,” Gavin whispered, feeling his throat close once again.

 

Suddenly, there were arms around him, not cold and metallic but warm and comforting. Connor.

 

“I… I felt… I felt his fear. He was dying and… I was too, I was there, I was him, I was—”

 

“Shh,” Connor shushed him, running his hand over the other’s back comfortingly, trying to soothe his partner’s dry sobbing.

 

“You’re not going to die, Gavin, it’s all going to be alright.”

 

Gavin simply nodded, not trusting his voice and buried his face in the crook of Connor’s neck, arms sneaking around the other’s waist to return the hug, careful and tentative at first. 

 

Time seemed to stop as the two of them sat there, arms wrapped around each other, Connor whispering soothing words for Gavin, instructing him to breathe with him, calmly and with focus.

 

Gavin might have not been human, but it managed to relax him a bit nonetheless, his stress levels slowly declining as he tightened his grip around Connor, finally beginning to feel safe again.

 

After what could have been two minutes or two hours or anything in between, Gavin finally felt secure enough to loosen his grip around the other, unable to look him in the eye.

 

“We— we should leave,” he stated, voice wavering slightly, vocal units glitching at the end of the sentence.

 

“I agree,” Connor responded, getting up and pulling Gavin with him.

 

“We have enough evidence that these cases are related, I think we can call it quits for now. Let’s go,” he said, extending one hand towards Gavin. He took it.

 

Their way was only illuminated by Connor’s phone as they walked back to the trap door. After a few seconds of searching, Connor managed to find a stool they could stand on to climb back up, and Gavin had never felt as relieved as he did the moment he was above the ground again, wanting nothing more than to finally leave the shop.

 

“Finally,” Connor sighed as they stepped outside. It appeared to be past noon already, Gavin noticed.

 

“Time to go home.” He grabbed Gavin’s hand once more and dragged him towards his car. Gavin could do little more than letting himself be pulled by his partner, LED still glowing red despite his declining stress levels.

 

He didn’t want to go to the precinct, he realized suddenly as Connor’s car came into view. He didn’t want to be alone, even though not really alone, didn’t want to be around all those people and androids and —

He stopped in his tracks, words caught in his throat.

 

“I— Don’t— Connor, I—”

 

The young Detective just squeezed his hand tightly, smiling at him comfortingly, full of warmth.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Gavin,” he said, pulling his partner just a bit closer.

 

“You’re coming home with me for the day. I think that’s the best course of action after what happened there, we can worry about paperwork tomorrow.”

 

Gavin could only nod in response as he watched Connor unlock his car, letting himself be shoved into the passenger’s seat.

  
_ Home _ , Connor had said.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who didn't take two weeks to update this time! woo me! Hope you enjoy this chapter, as always, huge thanks to my amazing beta @cheezepotatoe idk where this fic would be without you by now lol  
> It's a bit shorter this time but i hope you guys still enjoy it, I certainly had a lot fo fun writing this one! And as always, don't forget to let me know your thoughts, i live on that shit <3

_ “Connor, what the fuck is that?!” _

 

The young Detective could barely contain his laughter at the sight of his partner’s confused and almost panicked expression as he was faced with 175 pounds of pure muscle and fluff happily barking at the android buried underneath him.

 

“That’s a dog, Gavin,” Connor replied still grinning fondly as he watched the display in front of him.

 

“A dog?”

 

“Yes. His name is Sumo, he’s a St. Bernard. You can pet him if you want to.”

 

“Pet— Connor, that thing tried to kill me!” Gavin exclaimed, finally managing to free one of his arms from underneath the large dog on top of him, pointing at Sumo accusatorily.

 

“I can assure you, he did no such thing. Sumo is a gentle giant, much like Hank.” Connor crouched down, now on eye level with the animal, hand running though the dog’s soft for. Sumo let out a happy bark in response, some his saliva dripping down from his tongue and onto Gavin’s cheek.

 

“See? He’s a good boy,” he said, ruffling the dog’s fur just a bit more.

 

“Your  _ good boy _ just covered me in fucking slobber!”

 

Connor let out another soft laugh at Gavin’s affronted tone and gabbed Sumo by his collar, gently shooing him off of the android who looked caught between thankfulness for finally being freed and annoyance for having to be freed in the first place.

 

Gavin’s already dirty and dust-covered uniform was all kinds of rumpled now, dog hair covering the dark blue fabric even as he patted down his pants in an attempt to get rid of it.

 

It was strange seeing Gavin outside of the precinct or a crime scene. The way the android held himself seemed different somehow, in a way Connor couldn’t exactly pinpoint.  _ More relaxed, maybe _ , Connor thought as he watched the other sigh in defeat as he appeared to have realized the futility of his actions.

 

Despite what had happened earlier Connor couldn’t will the smile away from his lips. Having Gavin home with him and watching him interact with Sumo filled his chest with a strange, but not unpleasant warmth.

 

He let go of the dog’s collar and stood up, eyes meeting Gavin’s for a brief second.

 

“I’m taking it you’re not a dog person?” He teased.

 

“I’ve never seen a fucking dog in my life before that monstrosity, but  _ no _ , no I think I’m clearly not, thank you very much.”

 

“You still have saliva on your cheek,” Connor pointed out with a mischievous grin, enjoying the sight of Gavin turning bright blue as he tried to rid the synthetic skin of his face from the dog’s slobber, rubbing it furiously.

 

“Just keep him away from me, got it? I don’t trust him.” Gavin’s cheek was mostly clean now, but the blue tinge remained.

 

“I only have this one uniform here and I don’t want him to fucking ruin it even more than it already is.”

 

Connor recognized the frustration in his voice as he motioned for the other to follow him inside, contemplating.

 

Both Gavin and Sumo walked right past him as he held the door open for them, the dog letting out a happy bark every now and then and Gavin staring at the St. Bernard as if he had personally murdered his grandma.

“About that…” Connor began as soon as he closed the wooden door behind them.

 

“Yeah?” Gavin asked, quirking up one eyebrow. Connor’s furrowed in turn before he shook his head.

 

“Just wait here.”

 

With that, he disappeared into his own room, leaving Gavin alone with his new happily drooling nemesis. The two would survive without him for a few minutes, he was sure of that.

 

Connor opened his closet door and began rummaging through the few pieces of clothes that had actually found their way inside of it, most of them strewn around the room. Despite the fact that he preferred organization and certainty over chaos in his life, keeping things tidy had never been his greatest strength, unlike Niles. His brother had always been an absolute neat freak, causing more than one or two arguments between them.

 

But when Connor came home tired and socially exhausted he was absolutely unwilling to do any more than strictly necessary in that regard.

  
  


Skipping over dress pants and button up shirts he finally pulled out a pair of sweatpants that looked as if they might fit Gavin, as well as a grey hoodie. Almost the same shade as Gavin’s eyes, he noted, surprised.

He pushed the closet door shut again and grabbed a pair of boxers from one of his drawers just to be safe. Who knew whether androids wore (or even needed?) underwear or not.

 

Satisfied with his findings Connor returned to the living room to find Sumo already dozing off next to his currently empty food bowl and Gavin standing next to one of the shelves, a book in his hand.

 

The android almost dropped in when he noticed Connor entering the room, an expression like a deer caught in headlights on his face as he placed the book back where it belonged on the shelf.

 

Ignoring the fact that he basically just caught Gavin snooping Connor simply held out the pile of clothing to him.

 

“Here.”

 

“What?” Gavin replied unintelligently, blinking at Connor a few times instead of taking them.

 

“For you. To wear. Since your uniform got dirtied in the basement,” Connor explained, suddenly self-conscious. Was he overstepping some unsaid boundary with this? But Gavin had expressed concern about his clothing getting even more dirty than it already was, and he couldn’t deny how out of place the android looked in his formal police uniform.

 

For a moment, Gavin hesitated and Connor could feel himself growing more nervous by the second. Had he done something wrong? Would Gavin even be okay with wearing his clothing? Maybe he thought it was weird? He could already feel his head starting to spin from the questions rushing through his mind when Gavin finally took the pile from his hands and nodded.

 

“Thank you,” he said curtly, not moving.

 

“You should… You should get changed then.”

 

“Yeah, probably. Do I just… change here?”

 

Connor felt weirdly relieved when it dawned on him that Gavin felt just as awkward as he did.

 

“I mean you can, I won’t look or anything, but you don’t have to, I— The— The bathroom is right over there too,” Connor finally said, feeling the heat in his cheeks rise. This wasn’t a situation he was used to, lending an android who had never been outside except for work purposes for his whole existence his clothing.

 

Gavin just nodded again, and Connor noticed that his LED was cycling yellow without a sign of returning to blue. If he thought about it, the small ring on his partner’s temple had stayed the same, worried color ever since they left the flower shop.

 

With his brows slightly furrowed he watched Gavin leave for the bathroom, concern nagging at the back of his mind. Outwardly, the android seemed fine again, or at least didn’t appear to be as distraught as he had been in the basement. But his LED.

 

The damned thing was still yellow, not budging and giving way to the calm blue that Connor had come to find so comforting, not even for a millisecond.

 

His eyes were fixated on the bathroom door as he waited, thoughts running through his head, trying to think of a way in which he could help Gavin. It wasn’t just the android’s reaction to whatever had happened in the basement that had Connor worried. Something his partner had said a few nights ago when Connor had wandered into the precinct late at night or early in the morning depending on how one looked at it still echoed in his mind.

 

_ “Let’s just say that even fucking androids don’t cope too well with all the shit we see on the force.” _

 

Connor didn’t know what exactly the android was talking about, but he understood what he meant. Any human who had worked with the police for over a decade must have gone through some horrifying experiences, and an android specifically build for this kind of work even more so.

 

The young Detective had never thought about whether or not androids could be affected by their experiences in this way, had never thought about whether or not androids could get  _ traumatized _ .

 

But that fear in Gavin’s voice and on his face, his expression when he repeatedly told Connor that he didn’t want to die, he simply couldn’t get them out of his mind.

 

With a click, the bathroom door opened and Connor shook his head to try and rid himself of his previous thoughts, taking in the image in front of him.

 

The android looked… strange to say the least, out of his work uniform and in Connor’s casual clothing, sweatpants just a bit too long for Gavin.

The same strange warmth he had filled earlier washed over him as he continued looking at the other, a fond smile finding its way back onto his face. He liked it. A lot. Connor didn’t know why exactly, but he liked seeing Gavin wear his clothing. It was endearing somehow, in a strange, out-of-place way.

 

“Feels weird,” Gavin muttered, either not noticing or purposefully ignoring Connor’s staring, cheeks tinted blue and LED still yellow. Right then and there Connor decided that yellow was probably his least favorite color.

“I think it suits you,” he told the android, hoping to help him feel more comfortable.

 

“I feel like I’m wearing a potato sack.”

 

“I admit, the hoodie does feel a little bit like one, but it’s very nice one you.” He watched with a satisfied smile as the shade of blue on Gavin’s face deepened.

 

At least he wasn’t the only one whose cheeks were heating up like crazy.

 

“Alright, alright, if you say so, I don’t give a fuck,” Gavin grumbled, crossing his arms.

 

“Left my uniform in the bathroom somewhere, that okay with you?”

 

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll put it into the washing machine later so you can wear it again when I drop you off at the precinct tomorrow.”

 

They hadn’t discussed how long Gavin would be staying, and Connor shifted his weight from one foot to another and back in a nervous dance as he waited for the other to respond, unsure how he would react.

 

The answer he received was simply another nod, and Connor wasn’t sure whether he should be relieved or worried. It seemed unusual to him that Gavin agreed to things so quickly, in his experience the hot-headed and stubborn android had often been quick to argue or at least snark at him before giving in.

 

The silence that settled upon them was tense and awkward as if both of them wanted, or maybe even needed, to say something, but none of them knew what it was.

 

Connor sighed. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea, and right now he simply didn’t know what to do with himself.

 

“I could show you the house, if you want to?” He ended up offering with a tight smile, hoping to break the tension between them as they just stood there, looking at each other but always avoiding the other’s eyes. The causal lightness that he had felt existing between them just a few minutes ago was gone now, and Connor wondered where it went.

Gavin’s LED was still blinking yellow.

 

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Gavin shrugged, and Connor could feel his shoulders sag down in relief. It wasn’t the most enthusiastic answer, but it was better than nothing.

 

They ended up spending almost an hour walking around the small house, Gavin slowly relaxing and increasingly smiling and laughing as his partner recounted various stories about Niles and his childhood whenever they came across something that sparked a memory, from the scratches on the floor from when they had first gotten Sumo to the unremovable spaghetti stain on the wall reminiscent of the time Niles and Connor had first tried cooking on their own.

 

Even though Gavin’s LED still hadn’t returned to blue when they ended their little tour Connor felt like he seemed less on edge, even if only a bit.

 

To his surprise, the thing the android had found most interesting had been the books in Connor’s room.

 

Gavin had carefully taken each book into his hand, flipping through the pages with an expression of awe on his features, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The sight filled Connor with an incredible sense of fondness, and he vowed to bring Gavin to him home more often despite the awkwardness of the first few minutes.

 

And it had dawned on him that up until this day, Gavin might not have ever held a real, physical book in his hand, had never experienced the unique scent of old books and ink.

 

“You can read them, if you want to.”

 

For just a brief moment, Gavin’s LED had flickered blue before returning to the dreaded yellow and Connor wanted nothing more than to see the soft, beautiful blue glow again, coupled with the grin that split Gavin’s face as his grip tightened around one of Connor’s old sci-fi books.

 

When they returned to the living room they were greeted by Sumo’s happy bark, Connor dropping down on his knees to pet the large animal for a few seconds before getting up again to grab the dog food from the kitchen cabinet, telling Gavin that he could sit on the couch if he wanted to.

 

Just as Connor had suspected Sumo immediately waddled over to his now filled bowl right after Connor had finished pouring out the dry dog food, and he watched the large St. Bernard with a smile before he made his way back over to the couch.

 

Connor couldn’t help but  _ giggle _ at the sight of Gavin holding the quite frankly rather old book between his hand, trying to swipe over the paper to turn a page simply out of habit.

 

“I think I actually prefer digital ones most of the time,” Connor told him as he sat down on the opposite side of the sofa. At that, the android perked up. “Why?”

 

“First of all, they’re cheaper. You can carry around hundreds of them with one small device. You can drop them and not lose your page.”

“Then why the fuck do you still keep these?” Gavin asked pointedly, waving around the book in his hand.

 

“Mostly because of the memories attached to them. I read the majority of these in middle and high school, and I greatly enjoyed it. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.”

 

“Humans are fucking weird. Getting attached to inanimate objects like that.”

 

“Maybe we are weird, but that’s part of our charm, isn’t it?” Connor grinned, watching Gavin roll his eyes. LED still yellow.

 

“Yeah, whatever, meat sack.” And with that, he returned his attention to his book, skimming over the pages faster than any human could.

Connor let him, for a few minutes at least, letting his eyes wander back to watching Sumo finish his meal and waddle over to the couch, plopping down onto the floor right next to Connor.

 

He reached down to pet the dog, the soft and warmth fur calming his agitated nerves just enough for him to gather the courage to broach the subject that was still looming over them, clearing his throat.

 

“Gavin?” He asked, trying to get the android’s attention.

 

“Yeah?” He looked up from his book. Connor gulped.

 

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

 

“Why so formal suddenly, flesh bag? Just tell me what the fuck it is.”

 

Gavin’s harsh tone surprised Connor, and he hesitated for a moment, unsure how the other would react. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, his tone careful, afraid of how Gavin might take his question.

 

“What exactly did you see when the android tried to interface with you? You said something about him dying, and—” Yellow made room for red as Gavin interrupted him, his LED pulsing in the color of fresh blood.

 

“He didn’t exactly die there,” Gavin corrected him, quietly, almost carefully, closing the book and setting it aside. It sounded almost harsh in contrast with Gavin’s soft voice.

 

“But he was about to die. Some motherfuckers were about to take him apart, and as you probably saw, they succeeded.”

“And you… you felt what he did?”

 

“Yeah. I felt his fear of dying, and that’s so fucking illogical. Androids can’t  _ die _ . But he was scared of dying.  _ I _ was.”

 

“But androids do have some sort of consciousness, don’t they? Maybe he was scared of that ceasing to exist.”

 

“Fuck if I know, Connor. All I fucking know is that I felt this distinct fear of dying. Not just  _ not existing _ .  _ Dying _ . It makes absolutely no fucking sense.”

Frantic hands made their way into Gavin’s hair, running through it, messing it up in nervous movements. Without thinking, Connor got up and sat down next to Gavin and took both of his hands into his own, rubbing soothing circles onto the synthetic skin like Gavin had done for him so many times.

 

Gavin’s skin felt different from his own, Connor knew that and loved it, there was no other ways of expressing that. When he looked up, he noticed that the android had closed his eyes, eyelids fluttering restlessly.

Nevertheless, a few specks of yellow started to appear in between the glowering red.

 

A small victory at least.

 

“I’m sorry Gavin, I understand that you probably don’t want to talk about it, but this is important. Were you able to… to see the attackers in the android’s memory?”

 

“No, fuck no, it was just… weird blurry faces and a fucking mess of voices and I was so fucking scared that I couldn’t have paid any more attention even if I had wanted to, fuck.” He breathed our shakily, something Connor knew he didn’t need yet still did, even though the young Detective wasn’t sure why.

 

Before Connor could continue asking questions, Gavin spoke on.

“I… I’ve experienced some shit before, but this… I don’t think I’ve ever felt that. All I wanted was to get away from there, all I could fucking think of was that I might die.

 

And…” he paused. Connor tightened his grip around the other’s hands, hoping he would understand the silent encouragement he was trying to provide. Whatever Gavin was going to say, Connor felt like it was important to the android.

 

“When… when your creepy brother was here. Remember? When he fucking examined me.”

 

“I do,” Connor assured him, unable to bite back the small chuckle at Gavin’s way of always describing Niles.

 

“He said something to me, he fucking told me I was a deviant. I’m not Connor, I fucking know I’m not but…” His voice got quiet, trailed off.

 

“What if I am?” The question was barely more than a whisper, but Connor understood it nevertheless, remaining silent to allow Gavin to keep talking.

 

“Androids don’t fucking feel fear. But I did, and it was the worst thing I ever experienced.” He looked at Connor, desperation in his voice and his features, gray eyes searching for Connor’s brown ones.

 

He intertwined their fingers, holding the other’s hand even more tightly.

“I may not know as much about deviancy as Niles does, but those were memories, right? From the other android.”

 

“Yeah,” Gavin responded, sounding unsure.

 

“Doesn’t that mean that you only experienced what he did, like a… a sort of copy? Or an echo maybe.

 

Those weren’t your own experiences, those were his. There’s a high likelihood that the android in the basement was deviant, and you just… you just experienced a recreation of what he felt when it happened to him.”

 

Connor sincerely hoped that what he was doing was the right thing. Gavin seemed to have a strange aversion to the possibility of being deviant, and Connor could understand why in a way. Most deviants he had heard about from Hank or in the media turned violent. Those who didn’t, either vanished somehow or were destroyed before they had the opportunity to attack someone.

 

Gavin was rash and hot-headed at times and wasn’t in any way like any other android Connor had ever been in contact with, but those descriptions of deviants didn’t seem to fit him.

 

Despite everything, Gavin was good at what he did, he followed orders from higher-ups even if it was with a lot of complaining and grumbling, he never hurt or attack anyone when it wasn’t to save someone else’s life.

 

Connor really hoped he was doing the right thing as he tried to squash the little voice of doubt in the back of his head.

 

“Do you really think so, skin bag?”

 

The insults were back, and Connor couldn’t help but smile.

“I do.” He hesitated for a moment before letting go of Gavin’s hands and wrapping his arms around him and a tight hug, not unlike the one in the basement.

 

At first, Gavin tensed up, limbs stiff and tense as Connor hugged him. The human almost let go again when Gavin relaxed, shoulders slumping forward, assuring Connor to tighten his hold around him.

 

When he saw flickers of first yellow, then blue he let out a content sigh, closing his eyes and burying his face in the crook of Gavin’s neck, enjoying the other’s warmth, breathing in the scent of his own laundry detergent and faint plastic.

 

It wasn’t a mixture he would have ever thought about or considered comforting, but somehow, he did, and he could only hope that Gavin felt the same way about their current situation.

 

Silence settled upon them as they just breathed, relaxing against each other and coming down from the harsh day they had had, Gavin’s LED slowly but surely fully returning to blue.

 

None of them could tell whether it had been minutes or just seconds when Sumo’s loud bark and keys being turned tore them out of their comfortable little bubble and they broke apart as if they had been burned.

 

Keys could only mean one thing: Hank.

 

And Hank meant Connor had to try to explain why he had brought home the grumpy police android. Gulping, Connor got back on his feet, straightening out his clothing, trying to make himself look at least slightly presentable despite the dirt on his sleeve.

 

He probably should have had changed clothing as well, he thought suddenly.

 

The door swung open mere seconds later and Hank strolled in and hung up his coat. Upon seeing Gavin sitting on his couch, hair all messed up, cheeks tinged blue and  _ wearing Connor’s clothing _ , his face appeared to be going through all stages of grief at once before he settled on shaking his head.

 

“Connor, what did I say about the frog phase,” he said, almost defeated, eyes still staring holes into Gavin and contrasting with his calm tone of voice.

 

“Hank, I assure you that Gavin is in fact not a frog and I won’t lose him around the house.”

 

“I’m here you know, asshole! Don’t fucking talk about me as if I wasn’t,” Gavin retorted from where he was still, now crossing his arms again.

 

“I’m sorry Gavin,” Connor apologized, turning to look at Gavin for a moment hoping that he was able to convey the fact that he truly hadn’t meant to talk about Gavin as if he wasn’t present with this way, before returning his attention to Hank. “I’m sure you’re confused, I can explain this.”

 

“Yeah, whatever. I’m far too old for this. Just tell me you’ll bring him back as soon as possible, I don’t fucking want you to get in trouble for stealing shit from the police station when you haven’t been working there even a month.”

 

_ Stealing _ . As if Gavin was the same as a bunch of paperclips or a bag of coffee beans.

 

Before Connor could reply, he was interrupted by Gavin.

 

“Don’t worry, old man, I’ll be back where I’m supposed to be by tomorrow morning. Don’t piss your pants, I won’t get your precious little son into trouble,” he huffed, suddenly on the defensive.

 

The abrupt change in Gavin’s demeanor didn’t go unnoticed to Connor and he threw him a questioning glance. Gavin ignored it, instead tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.

 

Instead of dignifying what Gavin had said with a response, Hank simply shot his adopted son a sharp glance.

 

“Connor, we’ll talk about this later.”

 

“Yes, I’m sorry for not telling you that I would be bringing Gavin home,” he apologized, unsure what else to say. To his surprise, Hank started to laugh. “Connor, you’re not fifteen anymore, you don’t have to ask me to bring over someone. But please don’t just take police equipment without permission, no matter how well you get along with its disrespectful ass.”

 

There is was again.  _ Police equipment _ . As if Gavin was an inanimate object. 

 

Gavin’s sharp retorts of “Disrespectful? I’ll show you disrespectful, old fucker!” and Hank’s half amused, half annoyed reply of “Yeah, yeah, whatever, toaster.” in the background went almost unnoticed by Connor.

 

And technically, wasn’t that what androids were?  _ Objects _ . After all, they had been investigating  _ thefts _ on their big case, not  _ kidnappings _ . Gavin wasn’t an officer or a Detective, he was just equipment.

 

It didn’t feel right to think of his partner in terms like those.

 

Not when he had drawn so much comfort from him, had grown to like his snarky attitude and quick wit. Not when he seemed to genuinely care about Connor.

 

But he wasn’t human either.

 

And maybe, just maybe, that didn’t matter, at least to Connor. Maybe it didn’t matter what Gavin was, as long as he was he was  _ Gavin _ .

 

The young man could feel his head spin as he let his eyes wander back to the android’s form on the couch, LED back to yellow.

 

No, he really didn’t like yellow.

 

“Connor?”

 

Hank’s voice tore him out of his thoughts, a large hand waving in front of his face. Connor’s gaze still lingered on Gavin for just a bit longer.

“Yes?”

 

“Your phone’s been lighting up like crazy for a few seconds now,” Hank said, pointing towards where it was poking out of Connor’s pocket.

His phone, yes. He hadn’t even noticed the quiet buzzing, too deep in his contemplations.

 

A small chill ran down his spine and his stomach turned into a knot. He had a terrible feeling about this.

 

Carefully he fished the small, black object out of his jeans and checked the caller ID.

 

_ Niles _ .

 

What could his brother want from him? Had something happened? Palms sweating, he picked up, not hearing the sound of a car driving down their street, stopping in their driveway

.

“Hey, Niles, how are you? How’s— ”

 

“Connor we don’t have time for this,” his brother interrupted him frantically, sounding agitated, and Connor couldn’t help but share a worried glance with Gavin. Hank watched them curiously.

 

Before Niles could go on, the bell rang. Hank walked towards the door, one eye still on Connor.

 

“I know Gavin’s there with you, don’t ask how, and you need to get him out of sight, as quickly as possible. I talked to North today, and—”

 

Gavin’s LED was blinking yellow, red, yellow, red. Stayed there. Hank opened the door. A man and a woman, wearing civilian yet formal clothing, and air of authority surrounding them. At the end of the other line, Niles suddenly let out a string of curses, and Connor slowly removed his phone from his ear. Gavin’s LED kept blinking bright red.

 

“North Kelly, FBI. Is Connor Anderson here? I have a few questions for him regarding a missing GV200.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello... it's me... Uh yeah. I'm super sorry this took so long, I really am. But this is the longest chapter I've every written, so I hope that makes up or it? I know it's been almost a month ahhhh and I apologize if the coming updates will be slow as well since health issues, school and real life are unfortunately a thing.  
> But yet again, huge huge huge thanks to @cheezpotatoe on tumblr for helping me with this and beta'ing for me ;n; I don't think I would've gotten it done without you <3  
> Now uh  
> I hope you enjoy? And please tell me what you think, I'm super nervous about the chapter :0

And immediately, Connor’s mind went blank for a few seconds, eyes staring ahead at Hank still standing at their door, blocking the woman’s view to where Gavin was sitting, LED cycling a glaring red.

 

He was still clutching his cellphone in his hand, knuckles white, Niles’ frantic voice from the other end of the line nothing more than white noise to his ears.

 

He could barely make out what Hank and the woman — North, her name was North, he thought suddenly — were talking about, panic creeping up on him as the severity of the situation came crashing down.

 

This woman, an FBI agent, was here to interrogate him. About Gavin. Whom he had taken home and therefore removed from the workplace unauthorized, something he could get into serious trouble for.

 

And not just him, he realized. Gavin too, Gavin especially. The android was supposed to remain at the police station all day and night except for investigative purposes, and no matter how much Connor disliked it, even thinking it left a bitter taste in his mouth, the android was technically the DPD’s property.

 

With the issue of androids becoming deviant on the rise, Gavin having been missing from the station was a problem. A big one.

 

A cold shiver went down Connor’s spine as he noticed Gavin watching him, his thoughts now racing, never averting his eyes from the scene in front of him.

 

What options did they have? Hank was still talking to the woman, and neither her nor her partner appeared to have spotted Gavin yet. Maybe Hank could keep them busy until they found a way for Gavin to escape the house, or at least to hide.

 

But wouldn’t Gavin be reported missing then? If he then turned up at the DPD next morning, wouldn’t Fowler suspect something? Either Connor would get into trouble for  _ lying to the FBI _ , the gravity of which he only now felt like he realized, or Gavin would get under suspicion of being a deviant. It hadn’t been that long that Connor had felt fearful about the possibility of Gavin potentially being decommissioned, and he certainly wasn’t ready for that again.

 

And this time, the danger might be even more imminent.

 

Connor could feel his breathing quicken, turn more shallow as he tore away his eyes from the conversation in front of him and looked at Gavin, gray eyes watching him as the android’s LED continued to cycle red.

His lips were pressed together into a thin line as if he was trying to hold himself back from saying something, from speaking up and inquiring about the situation. With a nervous nod of his head Gavin motioned towards North, and then towards Connor’s bedroom.

 

Heart beating in his chest, Connor hesitated for a moment, before shaking his head. Hiding away Gavin would get them into far more trouble than it would be worth, all they could do now was face the two federal agents head on and hope that their explanation, and maybe one or another lie, would be enough to appease them.

 

His stomach clenched as he pressed the “end call” button on his phone, shutting off Niles mid-sentence, the panicked questions of his brother coming to an abrupt stop.

 

With steps that were more determined and confident than he truly felt, Connor made his way towards the door, stuffing his cellphone back into his pocket, knowing that Gavin was watching his every move.

 

As he stepped next to his adoptive father, he took a deep breath. The conversation at the door had come to a halt. He could do this. With a last glance towards Hank he looked up at the two people standing in front of him.

 

Eyes fixating on the woman’s — North’s, Ms. Kelly’s, Agent Kelly’s? — nose, trying to emulate eye contact, desperate not to let his nervousness show, he spoke up.

 

“Hello, Agent Kelly. I’m Connor Anderson, you wanted to speak to me?”

“Mr. Anderson, your partner is a GV200 known as Gavin, right?” She asked, eyes never leaving Connor’s form. He could feel his hands twitching nervously.

 

“Yes. Do—” Connor gulped. This was the right decision.

 

“Do you want to come in? He’s— He’s here with me.”

 

The surprised expression on her face was hard to miss as she shared a look with her partner before nodding, motioning for Connor to step aside.

He did, looking over to his adoptive father who had crossed his arms, watching the display in front of him with skepticism.

 

On the couch, Gavin squirmed under the interrogative glances of both FBI agents, Agent Kelly’s face turning from surprise to suspicion and anger, and Connor couldn’t help but notice the way her partner touched her elbow in what was likely an attempt to calm her.

 

“We’re here to find out why the hell it has been missing from the police station, Mr. Anderson. Can you tell us?” Her voice sent shivers down Connor’s spine. It wasn’t a bad or unpleasant voice, not really, but something about her made him feel uneasy.

 

“I— I took him home with me after investigating our last crime scene.” His voice was wavering ever so slightly.

 

“And why is that?” The tension in the room felt thick and heavy.

 

_ Think, Connor, think _ , he told himself. He couldn’t tell her that he had been concerned for the android, couldn’t tell her about what had happened in the basement. She didn’t seem like the type to be sympathetic towards androids, not by a long shot. And no matter what he thought, no matter the fact that Gavin was far from being violent or attacking humans, if she knew about the strong reaction Gavin had shown upon experiencing the other android’s memories she would end up thinking he might be deviant, might be dangerous in some sort of way.

 

“I wanted to get some more work done,” he stated, hoping it would be enough.

 

“Why didn’t you continue your work at the station, Detective Anderson?” It was the first time Connor heard her partner speak. His voice was warm, friendly, gentle, a small smile on his lips.

 

“I… I was having a headache and preferred to work from home. Also I needed to check on our dog.”

 

“Is that so? Then why is the android wearing something else other than his uniform,  _ Detective Anderson _ ?”  _ Android _ . She spoke it as if the word was toxic, as if it was the name of some horrible, deadly disease, his title and name sounding almost as if she was mocking him.

 

Connor felt himself tensing up, not knowing how to respond. What rational explanation could there be for Gavin wearing his clothing? The android on the couch seemed to have sunken down into Connor’s hoodie some more, the red of his LED not budging, torn between wanting to speak and keeping his mouth shut.

 

“I am waiting.” Her voice cut through the air, cold and expectant.

 

“Bastard’s uniform seemed to have gotten fucking damaged on their case.” There wasn’t a time when Connor had felt this grateful for hearing his father’s usual grumpy tone, not that he could remember right now.

 

“Yes!” He exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat up, from embarrassment over his nervousness or the whiplash the situation was already giving him he didn’t know.

 

“So you gave it human clothing?” She asked, with more anger than was probably necessary.

 

Before Connor even had the chance to try and respond, her partner, whose name Connor still didn’t know, put a hand on her arm again. He watched as the two exchange for him unreadable glances before Agent Kelly sighed.

 

“I apologize for my partner, Detective Anderson. We have had a long day, I’m sure you understand.”

 

Connor did, but he sincerely doubted that their day had been anything like his and Gavin’s. Instead of voicing his thoughts he just nodded.

 

“So you say you have been working on a case, am I correct?”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what we were doing, Agent…? I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite caught your name.”

 

“Sawyers. Agent Josh Sawyers. May I ask you what case you were working on?”

 

“It’s a… a series of android disappearances. Older android models being taken from their homes and owners, we are trying to find the people behind it. We also have reason to believe that a drug, red ice, is somehow involved,” Connor summarized their case as much as he could.

 

“So we’re at the point where we investigate androids disappearing like humans?” Agent Kelly spit out, and Connor could see Agent Sawyers’ grip on her arm tighten.

 

“They’re investigated as break-ins, Agent Kelly,” Connor replied, a little bit sharper than necessary. He ignored the glance Hank threw him but couldn’t help noticing the confused look on Gavin’s face.

 

A face that had become continuously easier to read over the past few weeks of them working together.

 

The android’s LED was still cycling red, and Connor decided that maybe, just maybe, yellow wasn’t so bad. Red was the worst color there was, and he wanted nothing more to see the yellow he had dreaded so much earlier.

 

“When were you planning to bring it back the station?”

 

“After we got our work done,  _ Agent Kelly _ .” He couldn’t help the annoyance that was seeping through. Connor was seriously beginning to question his brother’s taste in women.

 

“Has the android shown any signs of deviancy? Aggression, disobedience, any similar malfunctions?” Agent Sawyers interjected before Agent Kelly had the chance to bite back. The man was a calming presence next to the seemingly hot-headed woman, and Connor was thankful for it despite the way the question made him tense up even more, fingers itching for his coin as he tried to feign eye contact with Agent Sawyers.

 

“No, Agents. Everything has been well, just as usual.”

He hoped they would believe him.

 

Agents Sawyer nodded, and Connor could feel relief washing over him.

“You sure you haven’t noticed anything  _ unusual _ ?” The way Agent Kelly spoke was almost daring Connor to say something, as if she knew more than she let on. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t, but all that Connor could do was try his best to get out of this situation.

 

“No, Ma’am. I have only been working at the station for a few weeks, but I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.” Except for the way Gavin’s eyes had softened since he first met the android, how easy it was for him to take the other’s hand, how comfortable he had started feeling in Gavin’s presence. How utterly  _ human _ Gavin seemed at times when he appeared to be terrified, when his cheeks tinted blue at Connor’s teasing, how much he loved the sight of the android wearing his clothing. How much he wanted to protect him, know everything there was to him.

 

Other than that, there was nothing, and Connor prayed that the red that was probably spreading on his cheeks went unnoticed.

 

Silence settled upon the room for a few seconds, tense and uncomfortable before Agents Sawyers nodded.

 

“Thank you, that would be all now. We’re sorry for intruding like this, but I hope you understand that these questions were necessary, with the number of deviancy cases we simply couldn’t let a missing police assistant android slide,” the man apologized, a polite smile gracing his lips.

 

“Why were you at the precinct anyways?” Hank asked, arms crossed.

 

“Because it’s not like you locals get anything —”

 

“Because we are asked to assist the DPD in the investigations regarding the deviancy cases.” He turned towards Hank. “You’re Lieutenant Anderson, I’m guessing?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“We must have just missed each other.” The smile on Agent Sawyers face did nothing to soothe Connor’s nerves. Why would the agents care about his father? Hank wasn’t partnered with any androids, not that Connor knew of.

 

The questioning look he threw him went unanswered.

 

“Yeah, no one told me the fu— the feds were coming today, so I left early.”

“We didn’t exactly announce the fact that we would be there beforehand, at least not to the majority of the Officers,” Agents Sawyers smiled sheepishly, and Connor felt as confused as ever.

 

“Josh, are you done doing small talk? I’m sure the Detective and his plastic pet over there have better things to do, and so do we,” Agent Kelly interrupted, pointing at Gavin with her thumb. Yes, Connor would definitely need to speak to Niles about his choice of women because he simply couldn’t fathom the two of them together in any way, not with Agent Kelly’s apparent dislike of androids and Niles’ line of work.

He fought down the urge to reply with a snippy retort.

 

“I’m sure you do,” he said instead. “And so do we, I have a case to finish.”

 

“Very well, thank you for your time, Detective, Lieutenant,” Agent Sawyers said politely, holding out a hand. Connor shook it firmly as he wished them goodbye and a safe drive, the fact that Agent Kelly simply nodded instead of extending her hand didn’t go unnoticed by him as he accompanied them to the door.

 

When the door closed behind the two agents Connor couldn’t help the sigh of utter relief that escaped his lips, leaning against it before he brought up his hands, running them through his hair and eventually dragging them across his face. A small, almost hysterical laugh came over him as he processed the situation.

 

Not even a month into his new job and he had been interrogated by the FBI for basically stealing an android from the police station, practically  _ lying _ to them, white lies or not, on the very same day as he witnessed said android having what could be compared to a human panic attack after investigating a creepy basement.

 

He slipped down until he was sitting on the floor, not even noticing the concerned glances both Hank and Gavin were throwing towards him as he buried his face in the palms of his hands.

 

A light touch on his shoulder made him look up, grey eyes staring into his. Connor felt himself unable to look away as Gavin crouched down, the sound of footsteps in the background and a distant “come on, Sumo, this is weird even for me.” told him that Hank was leaving, maybe even giving them some privacy despite his earlier comments about Gavin.

 

Another laugh escaped him and he closed his eyes, feeling the warmth Gavin radiated rather than seeing the android, gasping in surprise when he felt himself being pulled into a hug.

 

The fabric of his own hoodie as he leant forward and buried his face into the android’s shoulder felt so utterly familiar, the artificial breathing next to his ear calming, comforting as he brought up his hands to Gavin’s hair. Curious to know whether it was as soft as his synthetic skin, running his fingers through it and  _ yes, yes it absolutely was _ .

 

“You okay there?” Gavin whispered suddenly, not moving away or removing Connor’s hands from where they had now come to rest in his hair, LED cycling between anxious red and concerned yellow.

 

“I— I think I am,” Connor replied shakily, lifting his head to look at Gavin again, dragging one of his hands from the other’s hair to his cheek, caressing it carefully.

 

“I’m sorry I think I got a bit overwhelmed. The whole situation was more than a bit surreal,” he muttered softly, tracing the faded “scars” on the android’s cheek, unable to contain his smile at the feeling of the artificial five o’clock shadow someone at Cyberlife had decided to put on Gavin beneath his fingers.

 

“Yeah, fucking hell, what was up with that woman?” Gavin grinned, hands slowly running over Connor’s back.

 

“Today has been a lot, huh?”

 

“Yeah, Gav, it has,” Connor replied quietly with another smile as he leaned forward once more, closing his eyes, enjoying the other’s closeness, not caring that his father was probably in the room right next to them, confused as hell.

 

When they entered the precinct next morning Connor couldn’t help but notice everyone staring at him, hand itching to grab Gavin’s as he walked to his desk.

 

He just needed to get a case file, and then they could drive off to question the two previous owners of the now abandoned flower shop.

 

Something about the way his colleagues’ eyes followed their every movement made him feel anxious, paranoid almost, that they all knew what went down yesterday.

 

_ They probably suspect something _ , he thought, especially now that he was entering the precinct with Gavin by his side, again in his usual uniform.

He tried to breathe calmly as they walked past his colleagues.

 

Maybe they weren’t actually staring at him. Maybe it was his imagination acting up, exaggerating their glances. The human eye was naturally drawn to movement after all.

 

Next to him Gavin’s LED cycled yellow.

 

Upon reaching Connor’s desk he quickly plugged in his tablet to transfer the file, sending it to Gavin in the process, Hank’s seat across from him empty.

 

The man had come in early today, for a reason he had refused to tell Connor and his guest, and Connor had to admit that he felt incredibly frustrated. Any questions about what the FBI might have wanted from Hank had gone unanswered last night.

 

The nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that this might be something big, something bigger than Connor and Gavin didn’t go away, but he could never, not in a million years, imagine Hank keeping secrets like that from him.

 

For a moment, he was just all too tempted to go over to Hank’s terminal, try and find out what his father had been working on. It wasn’t as if Hank’s passwords had ever been hard to guess.

 

With a glance around the bullpen he sighed and grabbed his tablet, ignoring Gavin’s questioning look. No, he couldn’t do that. There must be a reason why Hank hadn’t told him, and Connor had no right to go snooping around.

 

No matter how much he wanted to.

 

Shaking off the bad feeling that started settling in his gut at the sight of his father’s empty seat he turned around, catching a small glimpse of Gavin’s yellow LED as they exited the precinct. The early November air felt cold and biting against his skin, nose and fingertips red.

 

With a quick glance Gavin took his hand as they made their way towards Connor’s car, LED blinking blue for just a second before it settled back on yellow.

 

Connor wanted nothing more than to get the calming blue back permanently. But, he figured, if he had been an android, his LED would look much the same, with everything that had happened the last few days it wasn’t unsurprising for Gavin to feel tense.

 

The warmth of the car pleasant, but unable to chase away the nervousness that seemed to be a permanent figure in his life at this point as they sat in silence, letting the automatic car take them to their destination, Gavin’s thumb rubbing circles into the back of Connor’s hand as the Detective studied the case file on his tabled, swiping through it with his free hand, trying to find any and all information he might have overlooked previously.

 

Sometimes the young Detective wondered how he had ever gone without the soothing touch of his android partner, soft, synthetic skin only separating from his when the car came to a halt.

 

The house in front of them was small, non-threatening. It reminded him of the shop that had belonged to its inhabitants in a way, the small tree in the front yard had lost all its leaves, bare and unprotected against the cold gusts of wind that shook it every now and then and forced Connor to try and bury his nose in his jacket, the pastel pink paint that had no doubt looked vibrant before appeared washed out, dull like the gray sky that framed it.

The grass crunched under Connor’s shoes as he and Gavin made their way to the front door, walking past empty flower beds and pots, various garden utensils left out on the porch to be available whenever the two women needed them.

 

With a deep breath, he brought up his hand and rang the buzzer, sharing a glance with Gavin.

 

It took only a few seconds until the door was thrown open, a woman in her mid to late thirties with wavy dark her standing in front of them.

 

“Good morning, Ma’am. My name is Detective Connor Anderson, and that’s my partner, Gavin. We’re here because we have a few questions for Myka Bering and Helena Wells. May we come inside?” The sentence he had rehearsed in his mind so often came over his lips with ease.

 

“Of course, Detective. I’ll get my fiancée, please follow me,” she replied politely.

 

The two of them followed her into what appeared to be the dining and living room of the house, sitting town at the wooden table as they waited for the two women. The walls were a soft beige, contrasting with the cold light that was coming in through the windows, various pictures of the two inhabitants had been framed and hung up on the walls, a fruit bowl stood in the middle of the table, the carpet on the floor looked like it had once been white.

 

“Something seems off,” Gavin whispered to him suddenly, and Connor turned his head.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The fucking look in her eyes when you told her we were cops. She suddenly got really nervous, and it can’t take this fucking long to get someone from somewhere around the house, it’s not that big,” Gavin explained, waiting for the other to respond.

 

Connor nodded in agreement, glance wandering around the room. “I think if we weren’t wrong about the documents we found in the shop, they probably have every reason to be.”

 

“Do you think they’ll bolt?”

 

“I—”

 

“Gentlemen, I apologize, I wasn’t sure where the love of my life had wandered off to.”

 

“We certainly didn’t expect visitors today,” the other woman added, stepping forth from behind her fiancée.

 

“We understand, no worries.” Connor smiled at them as they sat down, watching them curiously.

 

“I hope this is not about the parking ticket Helena got again?” The one that had let them in tried to joke.

 

“Unfortunately this is a much more serious matter, Ms. Bering, I assume, then?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“The two of you both co-owned the flower shop “Helena’s Flower Shop” up until a few months ago am I correct?”

 

“Yes, Detective.”

 

“Am I also correct in the assumption that you closed it down because of the investigation regarding the manufacturing of red ice in the backroom?”

 

“We— Yes. We thought the case was closed? We told the Officers in charge everything we knew. Is there a reason this case is opened up again?” The sound of fingers nervously tapping on the wooden desk echoed the room, next to Connor, Gavin’s LED was blinking yellow.

 

“We found that there might be a connection to another case, and,” he paused, feeling a hand of his knee, encouraging him, telling him to be careful with his next words. “We also suspect that there are some details of the story that are not entirely correct.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Well, for starters,” Gavin spoke up for the first time, gray eyes wandering over the two women in front of them, eyeing them suspiciously, taking his hand off of Connor’s knee and crossing his arms.

 

“There were no fingerprints other than those of Ms. Bering on the contract for renting out that back room, everything was written in the same blue ink, in the same handwriting. The room had apparently been rented out since November last year, yeah? The ink wasn’t nearly that old. Care to explain?”

 

Silence.

 

“We have evidence that links that red ice production to at least one breaking and entering in which an android was stolen. We know you haven’t been telling the truth about who rented out the room.”

 

The two women tensed up, the tapping sound became quicker, more frantic, hectic.

 

Next to Connor, Gavin made a grimace, LED blinking red for a millisecond before returning to yellow.

 

“We… we have no idea what you are talking about. Are you sure? Maybe you made a mistake somewhere,” Helena suggested, voice wavering ever so slightly.

 

“Miss, I’m sorry, but we’re certain. We know that the name on the contract is not a real name. We just need you to tell us the real one. That’s all we’re asking.”

 

“There is no real name,” Ms. Bering interjected.

 

Before Connor could ask her again, Gavin spoke up.

 

“Did you know what was going on in the basement?” His voice was eerily quiet, and Connor didn’t need to look at him to see that his LED was red.

“You probably didn’t even know there was a basement in the first place. Or maybe you did? Maybe you just didn’t fucking care.

 

We found it through a trapdoor in the floor, and I gotta admit, it was well hidden. It was fucking dark down there when I jumped down. Gave me the creeps.

 

But you know what was even worse than that?” His voice trailed off, got quiet, and Connor didn’t dare to say a word, to even try and interrupt his partner.

 

There was fear on the women’s faces, anxiousness about what Gavin would say next.

 

Gavin leaned forward.

 

“Bodies.  _ Android bodies. _ Not even full ones, ripped apart, mauled and mutilated and drained of Thirium to make a fucking drug for weak-minded humans. I know most of you fucking meat sacks don’t believe we’re worth anything more than a fucking toaster oven, but I saw what that android experienced. What he felt. He was horrified. Absolutely terrified of what those people were going to do to him.

 

I don’t care if you knew, if you didn’t, if you’re terrible people or just ignorant. But we need that fucking name.”

 

With that, the android exhaled, leaning back into his chair.

“So?” he demanded, staring ahead at the two horrified faces in front of him.

 

“We… We never knew that, oh god,” Ms. Bering whispered, all composure lost as she grabbed her fiancée’s hand. “Did they… Did they really do that? In… in our shop? I think I’m going to throw up.”

 

“Miss, I understand that this might come as a big shock, but we need the name,” Connor insisted.

 

“Yes, yes, just… Oh God, I never thought he would do something like that. I knew he had issues in the past, I knew he wasn’t the most agreeable person, but…”

 

“ _ Who  _ would never do something like that?”

 

“My cousin,” Ms. Wells admitted quietly, voice breaking.

 

“We allowed him to rent the back room, for just a bit of money. He said it was for a new business, to finally get away from being a criminal. I… I couldn’t say no when he asked, family is still family, after all.

 

When we learned that he was manufacturing drugs, I was so disappointed in him, I had really hoped things would turn towards the better for him, that he would finally live an honest life.

 

I couldn’t simply rat him out to the police, no matter what, I thought… I thought maybe he had good intentions, maybe he could build a life again, but not if I told on him.”

 

“So you invented a fake renter?”

 

She gulped, eyes lowering.

 

“We did. It… It was Myka’s idea, but she only suggested it because of me. I never expected him to have done something like that, I never… Detective, I know how this might look, I know you might not believe me, but we didn’t know what was going on. If we knew… I don’t know what we would have done, but we wouldn’t have kept silent. Someone doing something like that, even if it’s an android, is absolutely horrible,” she concluded, gripping Ms. Bering’s hand tightly.

 

“The name.” Connor could tell that Gavin was getting impatient, his LED hadn’t changed back from the glaring red it had displayed since he had started retelling what he had seen in the basement.

 

“Of course, I’m sorry, I’m— his name is James. James Darryl, he’s my cousin on my mother’s side. Detective, will we get into trouble for this? I know what we did was wrong, but we thought we were doing the right thing.”

 

“I know that, Ms. Wells, but I need you to understand that what you did is not only an obstruction of justice, but also falsification of documents. I can’t tell you what will happen because of that, we won’t be the ones to deal with it.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?”

 

Connor knew that he was being cold, but somehow, he didn’t care. He felt sympathy towards what these two women had gone through, he did, but if they hadn’t kept this from the police a lot of damage might have been averted. Gavin might have never experienced what he did in the basement.

 

“I… Every few days, a van came by. James always said it was for international shipping, but… now I’m not so sure anymore,” she whispered, eyes teary.

 

“Can you remember anything? The model? The license plate? Maybe the driver?”

 

“I think I spoke to the driver once,” Ms. Bering interrupted. “The name he gave me was Todd Williams, but I can’t remember the license plate or the model of the van.”

 

“Me neither, I’m sorry.”

 

“Thank you, Miss Bering, Miss Wells. If that’s all, we should get going now. We appreciate your cooperation,” Connor finished, slowly standing up.

 

“I’ll accompany you to the door.”

 

The car came to a halt with a small thud, the purring engine falling silent once again. As soon as they had entered the car, Connor had been able to feel himself relax, and with a glance to his right where Gavin was still sitting in the passenger seat he had been able to tell that he hadn’t been the only one, despite the android’s still-red LED, that even now, in the DPD parking lot it still hadn’t changed.

 

Before Gavin had a chance to open the door or step out into the cold, Connor grabbed his arm, the rough fabric of the android’s uniform between his fingers.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked carefully, seeking the other’s eyes, the way the android had looked during their interrogation refused to leave his mind, the image of a red LED haunting him, worrying him.

 

There was a small smile on Gavin’s lips as he replied. “I will be, these few days just have been something else.”

 

“Absolutely,” Connor agreed, chuckling warmly. Somehow, looking at Gavin wasn’t difficult anymore, not like it had been in the beginning, not like it was with people he didn’t feel comfortable around or when he was stressed. No, it was calming, easy, almost natural.

 

The hand he had placed on the android’s arm began to develop a mind of its own, wandering up to Gavin’s shoulder, his neck, resting there, caressing the soft skin.

 

Gavin leaned into the touch, closed his eyes, and Connor smiled widened as his torso tipped forward, barely resisting the urge to rock it back and forth. Despite the trouble of this investigation, he was happy to be here with Gavin right now, to have the android in his life.

 

“Gavin?” He whispered, feeling almost out of breath at their sudden proximity.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I— I’m glad you’re my partner.” His voice was quiet, barely audible, the feeling of Gavin’s synthetic breath on his cheek warm as he tried to use his other hand to grip the dashboard of the car to steady himself, to lean in a bit more, to get closer.

 

“Yeah, so am I,” Gavin replied softly, opening his eyes just ever so slightly to look at Connor as he spoke.

 

“I —” Connor felt his mouth go dry as he watched the other’s cheeks tint blue, feeling his own growing warmer by the second. His eyes wandered down to Gavin’s lips. There was only a few inches of distance between them right now, he could simply lean in some more, and — and suddenly, Connor lost his grip and tumbled over, head falling right onto Gavin’s shoulder, hitting his chin against the mechanical components that were hidden under clothing and synthetic skin.

 

A pained groan escaped his lips, and from above him, laughter rang through the car.

 

Self-consciously rubbing his chin he got up again, wondering whether he would end up with a bruise before joining in in Gavin’s laughter.

 

It wasn’t a sound he got to hear often from the android, and Connor decided to cherish it rather than to dwell on what had just happened. Or almost happened. What might have happened.

 

Feeling his face heat up again, he shook his head.

 

“I— I think we should get back to the precinct. Fill out our paperwork. See if we can find anything on James Darryl or Todd Williams,” he said.

 

“Yeah,” Gavin smiled, his LED finally back to blue.

 

For a few more seconds, while they walked towards the precinct, faces tinted red and blue respectively they felt at ease, smiling as their hands brushed against each other’s.

As the doors towards the police station swung open whatever silence, whatever peace there had been outside was exchanged for loud sobbing. Screaming angry shouting, distinguishing between the panicked voices was simply impossible, and Connor had to resit the urge to cover his ear, stopping dead in his tracks for a moment, feeling Gavin pull him along.

 

Hank. His father was probably there, it would make sense for him to be. He couldn’t make out his voice in the chaos of sounds coming from the bullpen.

 

Small puddles of Thirium were splatters all across the floor in the hallway, the receptionist was missing, the waiting area empty. 

 

Sharing a look, Gavin and Connor sped up their pace, when a gunshot pierced the air.

 

Connor’s heart dropped. They started running.

 

The door slid open.

 

Blue blood was covering the ground, mixing with red as it flowed together, creating an unnatural purple. A woman, unknown to him, was lying on the floor, unconscious, maybe even dead, a man next to her, shaking her, sobbing.

 

A police assistant android was on his knees, against the wall, splashes of Thirium on his face and uniform, human blood and blue blood on his hands, a gaping bullet hole in his head, eyes empty and devoid of any life they may have possessed. Connor felt his stomach turn, and for a moment Connor was glad that Gavin was the only android of his model at the station. He wouldn’t have been able to bear seeing the other, even if it had just been someone with the same face as him, like this.

 

The thought made him feel guilty as his eyes wandered over the scene, a gun lying next to the now deactivated android, two Officers Connor couldn’t recognize next to him.

 

Without thinking he leaned back against Gavin. Silently asking the other for support, silently lending the other his own as the paramedics rushed past them. No one seemed to have noticed them returning to the station so far, and Connor was glad he was invisible right now. There was an unspoken question in the way Gavin leaned against him, nudged him towards the room ever so slightly.

 

“Why are we staying here?” The android then whispered, likely under the assumption that Connor hadn’t understood what he had tried to convey without words.

 

Truth was, he had. He just didn’t know the answer.

 

His eyes wandered around the bullpen.

 

Hank was nowhere to be seen.

 

He watched as they carried the woman out of the building, him and Gavin still cramped into a corner by the door. Watched as they began to clean up the mess, as Fowler paced back and forth in his office.

 

Gavin took his hand, and Connor squeezed it. He had a bad feeling about this, a horrible one.

 

The door to the glass office swung upon, Fowler stepped out, still not noticing them.

 

“I want this mess to be cleaned up as soon as possible, got it? The feds called, they will be here soon, and we got new orders: all law enforcement androids will be decommissioned, so as soon as this is dealt with, start rounding up all of them. Immediately. This precinct will be following the new regulations and I will not hear a word otherwise. Now  _ GET TO WORK. _ ” 

 

And outside, the first snow of the winter began to fall.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look, it's me, with yet another upload before I disappear for a few weeks again! This Chapter was. Hard. Probably the one that needed the most revising so far, so huge thanks to @cheezpotatoe for betaing this for me, you're really the backbone of this fic! And also thank you so much to everyone who has read this fic, and to those who have left kudos and comments. Those things mean a lot to me and I smile each time i see the notifications. I don't know why but I've been struggling with writing for this story lately, but you guys keep me going <3

White snowflakes danced around them with growing vigor as they rushed to the car, Connor’s steps clunky on the not yet snow-covered asphalt of the DPD parking lot, Gavin’s light and barely audible, the android’s LED glaring red.

 

Neither of them spoke to the other as Connor nervously fumbled for his keys, cursing under his breath whenever they slipped from his freezing fingers, Gavin’s impatient foot-tapping a constant background noise to his attempts before he was finally able to pick up the right key and open the car, slipping into the driver’s seat and starting the automatic driving module.

 

With a heavy sigh he let out the air that he had been holding in ever since they had witnessed what had happened inside of the precinct in fear that one wrong breath, one wrong movement, one wrong noise could give them away, even as they hurried outside, unseen, forgotten in favor of all the chaos.

 

As their car left the parking lot, Gavin’s LED continued blinking red, and without thinking, Connor reached out and wordlessly took the android’s hand into his own.

 

He had no idea what was going to happen now, what they were going to do, how they were going to solve this, but he was sure about one thing: he wasn’t going to leave Gavin.

 

The android’s synthetic skin felt smooth and warm under his fingers as Connor continued rubbing circles into it, a concerned frown on his face as he watched Gavin close his eyes and breathe heavily, the red of his LED never changing, never wavering, never faltering, never giving way to the yellow that Connor had once hated so much but would prefer to see right now.

 

He wanted to ask what the android was thinking, but he could imagine the thoughts that were no doubt running through his head:

What would happen now? Would he be decommissioned? Would he and Connor find a solution? What had caused the order? What had caused that scene inside of the station? Where would he go now?

 

Connor didn’t dare to speak and ask for confirmation in fear that he wouldn’t be able to give answers to the questions that Gavin was most likely asking himself, in fear that hearing them would make their current situation feel much more real than it already felt, taking away the surreal haze he was experiencing as if he was simply dreaming.

 

One building after another rushed past them, grey and blurred when observed through the windows until they gave way to the familiar look of the neighborhood Hank and Connor lived in.

 

_ Hank. _

 

Where was he? He hadn’t been at the precinct where he was supposed to be, and Connor had to try his hardest to will down the worry that started building up inside of him as soon as the realization had come back to him that he had no clue about his adoptive father’s whereabouts.

 

A cold shiver ran down his spine as the car pulled into the driveway.

 

“Are— Are you sure this is a good idea?” Gavin’s voice was quiet, his grip around Connor’s hand tight enough for his knuckles to turn white, his face unnaturally pale.

 

“I don’t think we have any other place to go right now,” Connor admitted, trying to hide his own nervousness. They needed a plan, as fast as possible.

 

Gavin was right though, there was no way they could permanently stay here. As soon as someone realized they weren’t coming back from their case they would start looking for the two of them, for  _ Gavin _ , and this would be the first place they checked. Connor’s home, his sanctuary.

 

His heart ached as he pulled Gavin towards the front door, worried thoughts running wild in his head and all he wished was to turn back time to that small, blissful moment he and Gavin had shared in the car not even an hour ago.

 

An hour? It felt like a lifetime had passed since he had gently reached out to the android and laughed with him after he had toppled over, hitting his chin on Gavin’s shoulder.

 

Even now, despite everything, the thought filled him with warmth and the ghost of a smile stole its way onto his face as he carefully unlocked the front door.

 

Sumo’s barking echoed through the living room as they stepped inside and hastily pulled the door shut behind them. The house looked exactly the same as it had when they had left in the morning, but it felt different.

 

Connor wasn’t sure what it was, whether it was the snow outside that had changed the hue of the light falling in through the windows or his own, nervous mood but the room felt colder, felt more threatening with each second that passed.

 

His own hand felt warm and clammy in Gavin’s, nervous sweat starting to bleed from his palms, but neither of them had it in them to let go as they stood in the room, each lost somewhere in their own thoughts.

 

“What do we do?” Gavin suddenly broke the eerie silence that had settled upon them as soon as Sumo’s barking had ceased and Connor felt himself snap out of his stupor, pulling the android into his arms.

 

“I don’t know,” he replied quietly. “But we’ll figure something out.”

Gavin remained silent.

 

“Hey.” Connor raised his hand and gently placed it under the android’s chin, forcing the other too look at him, surprised by his own actions. This wasn’t something he ever did. “I’m not leaving you alone,” he murmured gently, thumb caressing the other’s jaw. “You’re my partner, and I won’t allow them to get anywhere near you.”

 

For a split second, Connor believed that he saw Gavin’s LED flicker yellow momentarily.

 

The android appeared to be comforted by his words, removing his face from Connor’s grip and leaning it against the other’s shoulder. The other’s body felt warm against Connors and he pulled Gavin closer, just a bit more, as if he could protect him like this, protect them from whatever was going to happen.

 

If stopping time was possible, Connor would have done it without hesitation.

 

A sudden buzzing from his phone startled the two of them and Gavin looked up from where he had been leaning against Connor’s shoulder, carefully watching as Connor picked the phone out of his pocket.

His eyes lit up.

 

“Niles,” he whispered in a surprise, a small smile spreading on his face as he read through the short text message his brother had sent him.

 

_ Are you at home? I heard what happened. I might have something. _

 

It felt almost unreal as he let out a small, breathy laugh and let go of Gavin’s hand to type a quick reply for his brother.

 

Of course. Of course his twin who had always had his back, who had always stuck with him had a solution for their problem.

 

“Connor?” Gavin’s voice sounded worried, nervousness dripping from the way he said the other’s name.

 

“I— Niles, he— Niles says he might be able to help us. I don’t know how he heard about what happened, but—”

 

“Do you think we can trust him?”

 

“Of— of course! He’s my brother.”

 

“He’s also involved with that asshole FBI woman,” Gavin pointed out. The red glow of his LED never seemed to soften, never seemed to disappear, and neither did the frown on his face.

 

“I still think it’s worth an attempt,” Connor defended his brother, despite the uncertainty beginning to creep up on him.

 

“If you say so.”

 

“Yes, I say so. You have to trust me, Gavin.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Gavin replied, rolling his eyes. “I do. I’m just not sure how much I can trust your creepy brother.”

 

“I don’t think you have any other choice,” Connor stated, fingers flying over the screen of his phone in a quick reply, telling Niles to meet them at home.

 

_ Home. _ Right now the house didn’t feel like home, not with those threatening prospects looming over them like this. Not while he didn’t know where Hank was. Not while he didn’t know how to prevent Gavin from being decommissioned.

 

Standing still seemed impossible for him at the moment and he began restlessly pacing through the living room, barely even noticing that Gavin had sat down onto the couch, Sumo now at his feet, a disgusted look on the android’s face.

 

In any other situation the display would have made him smile, but right now the tenseness that seemed to engulf him only allowed for the corners of his mouth to tug upwards ever so slightly, barely visible.

 

Calling Hank had proved to be a fruitless effort as Connor tried time and time again to reach his adoptive father, the phone blinking in his hand and the gruff voicemail almost mocking him as he tried once, tried twice, tried three, four, five times.

 

Hank never picked up.

 

Connor could feel his hands beginning to shake, unable to convince himself that Hank was just out on a case and had set his phone to silent.

 

A strange, restless energy had taken hold of him and he couldn’t stop walking back and forth, running lines into the ground, clutching his phone tight, calling the same number over and over again, waiting to hear something, anything, from Hank or Niles.

 

Suddenly, a pair of arms were thrown around him and someone pulled him close, pulled him out of his thoughts and panic.

 

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright, okay?” Gavin didn’t sound too convinced himself, but Connor nodded along regardless, burying his nose in Gavin’s soft, synthetic hair.

 

It had to be.

 

“But stop running around like some caged tiger, you’re driving me nuts.”

 

There was a grin on Gavin’s face now, one that even to Connor looked forced. It was the best he would be getting in their situation right now, eyes averted from the blinking red light on Gavin’s temple.

 

He couldn’t bear looking at it.

 

“I’m sorry,” Connor mumbled back, letting Gavin’s hands run over his back.

 

“Don’t be, I’m fucking nervous too.”

 

“I can see.”

 

“But all we can do right now is wait for your dickface of a brother, and hope that no one else shows up here.”

 

“What if Hank won’t come back?” Connor whispered, ignoring Gavin’s assuring words.

 

“He will.”

 

“But what if he doesn’t before we have to leave?”

 

“We can— We can leave him a message. One that wouldn’t get us or Hank in trouble,” Gavin suggested, and Connor relaxed slightly.

 

“Do you think he’s okay?”

 

“I doubt anything could kill that old fucker that easily.”

 

Connor nodded. Hank was tough, wherever he was he would be okay. And maybe it was really just his mind playing with him. Maybe Hank was just investigating a crime scene and would be back as soon as his shift was over. Pretending everything was okay, would be okay, seemed to come easier to him now.

 

Behind him, the door began to rattle and he broke away from Gavin’s hold, though never letting go of the other’s hand. Through the window, he could see Niles’ car, allowing him to relax slightly.

 

His brother looked distressed and disheveled, as if he had hurried, and given the circumstance speaking, he probably had.

 

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” he said in lieu of a greeting as soon as he closed the door behind him, regarding Gavin and Connor with a strange look in his eyes.

 

“Ever heard of Jericho?”

 

Both of them shook their heads.

 

“No.”

 

“It’s, I’m not sure what exactly it is,” Niles admitted. Connor watched him curiously.

 

“But I’ve seen the word in various memories of androids I had to— I worked with. It seems to be something important, a place, I think,” he mused, eyes never leaving the two in front of him.

 

“And you think we should try and find this place?” Connor asked, wanting confirmation.

 

“I think Gavin should. It might be his best bet right now.”

 

“Where did you hear that shit about the police androids? We only just got wind of it ourselves,” Gavin questioned, raising one eyebrow.

 

“North told me about it. I messaged you as soon as I could,” he explained.

 

“I really don’t fucking get what you see in that woman,” Gavin huffed, letting go of Connor’s hand and crossing his arms. Niles rolled his eyes.

“My love life isn’t up for debate right now,  _ Gavin _ . What’s important is getting you out of this mess.”

 

“I agree,” Connor interjected quietly.

 

“How are we supposed to find this place?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“You don’t—”

 

“No, but I think I know someone who might.”

 

“Can you just get to the fucking point?” Gavin shot at him.

 

“I could, if you would let me. Now, as I was saying: There’s someone that might be able to help you find Jericho. His name is Markus. He and North used to be… involved before they fell out, I only know about him from her. But according to her he has been helping out androids ever since the deviancy issue started to spread, much to the FBI’s dismay, even though they don’t have any proof.

 

He lives somewhere on the outskirts of Detroit, I’ll send you everything that I found,” he concluded, looking at Gavin and Connor expectantly.

“So you are saying,” Connor began, “that we should find this Markus and ask him to help us find this place called Jericho, even though it might not even be a place, or not even relevant at all?”

 

“No.”

 

“No?”

 

“No, what I’m saying is,  _ Gavin _ should do that.”

 

“But—”

 

“Connor, you can’t just leave and run off with him, you have a job, you have family.”

 

“None of you are in imminent danger,” Connor countered, noticing that Gavin had been rendered silent.

 

“Your place is here,” Niles insisted.

 

“Maybe he’s right,” Gavin said quietly, causing Connor to turn around and look at him.

 

“Gavin—”

 

“Connor, that shit doesn’t sound safe in the slightest,”

 

“Which is why I can’t let you go alone,” he replied, brown eyes meeting gray ones.

 

Niles cleared his throat.

 

“As I said, I’ll be sending you the necessary details, and then  _ Gavin _ can go and find this Markus person.”

 

“ _ We _ can find this Markus person,” Connor corrected with determination on his face.

 

“Connor, I’m risking a lot to help you here, do you know how it would look if my brother suddenly disappeared at the same time as a police android that’s supposed to be decommissioned, one that you were just investigated about for taking him off DPD property?” Niles asked.

 

_ “So you’re saying, if Niles did some illegal shit, you’d rat him out?” _

 

Gavin’s voice echoed in his mind. They had been wrong. It wouldn’t be him who was faced with a choice like this, it was his brother. What he and Gavin were planning to do, already doing, actually, was highly illegal. Niles was already risking a lot, and Connor was just making it harder on him.

 

But he couldn’t just leave Gavin alone. Abandoning the other wasn’t an option.

 

“You wouldn’t tell on us, would you?” He asked without really thinking about it.

 

“I— Connor, you’re my brother, and I believe what you’re doing is right, but—”

 

“But it’s still breaking the fucking law,” Gavin interjected.

 

“Yes. I wouldn’t run to the authorities, absolutely not, but if I don’t have any other choice—” He trailed off, obviously struggling to find the right words, squirming under Connor’s look.

 

“I understand,” he replied.

 

“Niles, please send me the information. We’re going to find this Markus.” Connor’s voice was firm and determined, allowing no room for anyone to try and convince him otherwise.

 

Next to him, Gavin had uncrossed his arms and taken one of Connor’s hands again, squeezing it tight.

 

“I can’t say anything to change your mind, now can I?”

 

Connor shook his head.

 

“No, I’m— I’m sorry Niles but—”

 

“But you have to, I know, you’ve always been stubborn.”

 

“Thank you for helping us,” he said in a soft voice. Without his brother, they’d still be standing here, panicking, without any idea of what to do.

“Thank me when you’re there.” He pulled out his phone and typed something, Connor’s own vibrated in turn.

 

“There. That’s all I have.” Connor nodded gratefully.

 

“What about the old geezer?”

 

“I—”

 

“I’ll tell him,” Niles offered. “I’m sure he’ll understand.”

 

Silence spread between them after Connor nodded, resisting the urge to thank his brother once more.

 

“I have to go,” Niles said sheepishly, pulling his coat tighter around himself, blue eyes watching the two in front of him carefully.

 

“Please take care. You know how to reach me if you need me.” Not even waiting for Connor and Gavin to say goodbye he opened the door and left.

 

“So, let’s go find this Markus dude.”

 

The bus they had taken had been empty except for a few people. Something about it made them nervous, and Connor had constantly been playing with Gavin’s fingers to occupy himself, the android’s now beanie-clad head to hide his LED leaning against his shoulder, his uniform exchanged for some of Connor’s clothing to hide what he was.

 

Connor’s phone had been shut off, a dead weight in his pocket, hoping that this would mean that no one would be able to track them down. The message that he had received from his brother had contained a file, all its contents had been transferred to a piece of paper now safely stored away in Connor’s jacket.

 

It had contained all the information Niles had been able to gather about Markus Manfred. His age, his marital status, his occupation, and  address were all stored away on there, though it was only the last piece of information that had truly interested them.

 

The address was located on the edge of town, just as Niles had said, and Connor had spent the whole bus ride nervously trying to imagine what it would look like when he wasn’t whispering back and forth with Gavin, eyes closed and head leaning against the cool window.

 

His imagination hadn’t been that far off, he thought as they stood in front of a cozy looking house, with beige walls, a wooden door and wooden window frames with closed curtains, a small garden buried beneath the snow.

 

It looked… loved. As if someone took care of it.

 

Connor’s hand was still holding Gavin’s as they shared a nervous glance.

“Do you really think this dude can help us?” Gavin asked, head turned to watch the house.

 

“I think that right now he’s our only hope,” Connor replied firmly, taking a deep breath before making his way towards the door, tugging Gavin with him.

 

With shaky fingers he tapped his knuckles against the wood, the sound a calming rhythm.

 

The cold around them was starting to become biting, and Connor buried his face deeper into his scarf, pulled Gavin closer to him as they waited.

It only took a few seconds until the door swung open, revealing a young man, blond with blue eyes, and a friendly face.

 

“Are you Markus?”

 

“Depends,” the man replied, raising one eyebrow. Connor couldn’t tell if he liked him or not.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“My name is Connor Anderson,” Connor spoke before he had time to think. What if this man was an FBI agent who had just arrested this Markus guy and he had just revealed his name to him? But there was nothing he could do now he thought cursing himself mentally.

 

“I— I’ve been told that Markus would be able to help us.”

“Are you—” the blond man spoke quietly, glancing towards both of their temples.

 

“Are we what?”

 

“Yeah, I’m a fucking android,” Gavin interjected, startling both Connor and the man in front of them. With his free hand he lifted his beanie up a bit, revealing his LED. “He’s human though.” He nodded towards Connor.

 

“What? It’s not like we have much of a choice,” Gavin shrugged, and Connor knew he must have looked shocked or confused.

 

The man nodded.

 

“Alright. Please come in then.”

 

“Tell us who the fuck you are first. I’m pretty sure you’re not Markus.”

A chuckle.

 

“You’re right, I’m not. Markus is my husband.”

 

The file had indeed mentioned something about him being married.

 

“My name is Simon,” the man added, stepping aside and looking at them expectantly.

 

Connor and Gavin exchanged a glance before walking past him, both of them silently hoping that they had made the right choice.

 

The interior looked like a perfect fit for the impression the outside of the house had given him, cozy and homey and loved and comfortable. In a way, it reminded Connor of his and Hank’s house. Despite the fact that it was only early November, there was a Christmas tree standing in the corner of the room, next to a dark-brown couch, decorated in warm reds and golds.

 

A man was sitting on said couch, looking at them expectantly, as if he had been waiting for Simon to return. He probably had.

 

“Markus, this is Connor and, uh,” he looked over to the android.

“Gavin.”

 

“Connor and Gavin. They want to speak to you.”

 

The man, Markus apparently, nodded and stood up, offering a hand to both Connor and Gavin.

 

“My pleasure. Though I suppose the circumstances that have led you here aren’t the most pleasant ones?” He asked, slightly tilting his head, different-colored eyes looking at them curiously.

 

Markus’ voice, his entire presence was calming, his voice soft yet determined, and Connor took his hand before nodding.

 

“My brother told us you might be able to help us,” he said.

 

“Your brother? I take it you’re human then?”

 

“Yes, I’m— I’m human, Gavin is an android.”

 

“Very well. Do you want to sit down while you tell me what it is you need?” He turned towards Simon.

 

“Simon, did you close the door?”

 

“I did, Markus, I forgot it one time and you can’t seem to let it go,” the man grinned and shook his head, and Connor could feel a smile tug on the corners of his lips at their interaction.

 

Gavin’s hand was still firm in his as they sat down opposite of Markus and Simon, who was leaning against his husband, on hand placed on the other’s arm.

 

“I’m not sure how much has been released to the public yet,” Connor began, “but we received notice earlier this day that all police androids are to be decommissioned. I, uh, I am,  _ was _ , I think, a Detective at the DPD, Gavin is—  _ was _ my partner.” His attempts at explaining felt clumsy, Gavin’s thumb now rubbing circles into the back of his hand in an attempt to calm him.

 

Markus nodded, motioning for them to go on.

 

“And—” Connor inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a second before going on— “I can’t let that happen. My brother told us about something called… called, ah, Jericho. He said he— he works for Cyberlife, and he said he has seen the word in the mind of various androids he worked with, and he— he also told us that you would be able to help us,” he finished, letting out a long sigh of relief.

 

“I understand. Where did your brother hear about me?” There was no suspicion in Markus’ voice as far as Connor could tell.

 

“From this woman he has been going out with, she works for the FBI.”

 

“North is her name, I assume?” Markus and Simon shared a sharp look, one that Connor couldn’t quite place.

 

“Yup,” Gavin replied, rolling his eyes. “No clue what he sees in her.”

 

“You met her?”

 

“Yeah, wasn’t too great.”

 

Markus nodded once more.

 

“And you’re sure you can trust your brother not to tell on you? Especially since he works for Cyberlife,” Markus probed, and Connor could feel Gavin become irritated at the man’s avoidance of the topic of Jericho.

 

“Yeah, yeah, fucker won’t just rat us out. Now can you please fucking tell us about Jericho?”

 

“Gavin,” Connor began, but was interrupted by Markus’ laugh.

“It’s fine, I understand the agitation.

 

Now, Jericho… I don’t know Jericho’s exact location, but I can help you find it.”

 

“So it  _ is _ a place?”

 

“It is indeed. From what I know, androids, deviants who have nowhere else to go gather there. It’s a sort of sanctuary for them,” he explained.

 

“Is that what you’re seeking?”

 

Gavin and Connor nodded.

 

“Very well. From what I know, you need to follow a string of symbols, plastered all over Detroit to find it. You have to be an android to do so, but I have the symbol.”

 

He pulled up his phone, Simon shuffling next to him, his hand covering Markus’ free one, watching Gavin and Connor.

 

“Here. You need to find one of these and scan it. You will be shown the location of the next symbol, bringing you closer to Jericho each time. Be discrete. Don’t trust random people you know nothing about. Not everyone will be as helpful as me and Simon. Understood?” Markus asked, one green and one blue eye watching them attentively. 

 

“Understood,” Connor replied in Gavin’s place.

 

“Connor—”

 

“No. I’m not leaving Gavin alone,” Connor stated, his resolve not wavering.

 

“These androids… a lot of them are probably wary of humans,” Markus warned.

 

“I don’t care. I can take care of myself, but I’m not leaving Gavin.”

 

Simon placed a hand on Markus shoulder, causing him to visibly relax, then he gave a small nod. A small sound from Simon’s pocket shifted his attention away from his husband again, and he pulled out his phone.

 

“I understand. That’s all I can do for you, other than offering you to stay here for a while until you made your final decision.”

 

“Thank you, Markus.”

 

“Yeah, thank you.”

 

“I’m glad I could help you—”

 

“Markus, I don’t think it’s safe if they stay here, neither for us, nor for them,” Simon interrupted, and all eyes landed on the blond man.

 

“I just got a message from Josh. He said that someone will come here soon, they’ve been suspecting us helping androids for a while now, and Josh thinks they might be onto something. They’re trying to crack down on androids even harder now, and— and there’s talk about more decommissioning and stricter guidelines. I think you two need to leave as soon as possible, you can’t be here if someone comes to investigate,” he ended tensely.

 

“Are you sure? They’ve tried to get us for this before, but they never have any concrete evidence,” Markus disagreed. Simon shook his head.

 

“What do you think they’ll have if they find a police assistant android here with us? Or even just traces that one has been here.”

 

“Simon, they need help.”

 

“And we’ve helped them. You gave them all the necessary information to find Jericho,” Simon argued, concern and a hint of frustration in his voice. Connor felt as if this wasn’t the first time they had had this discussion.

 

“You need to think about our own safety as well.”

 

Markus sighed. “I suppose you’re right, I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. Now we need to help these two get out of here as fast as possible,” Simon replied, briefly smiling at his husband and squeezing his hand, waiting for him to speak. Markus reciprocated the other’s smile, then turned to Gavin.

 

“You still have your LED, right?” He asked.

 

“Yeah, why?” Connor could feel Gavin stiffen next to him.

 

“You need to get rid of it.”

 

“But—”

 

“It will be harder for you to be recognized as an android if you don’t have an LED. Everything you need is in the bathroom upstairs, it’s the second door to the right after you climb the stairs.

 

Connor, feel free to go to kitchen and pack some food for you, since you want to go with Gavin. Simon, can you help him?” Simon nodded. “I’ll try and see that I can get rid of anything that they might consider evidence against us,” he concluded, gesturing for all of them to go and do their assigned tasks.

 

With a worried glance Connor pulled Gavin up. “Will you be okay?” he whispered.

 

“I think so,” Gavin mumbled, entirely unconvincing, tearing his hand away from Connor’s and moving upstairs. Connor was simply left to stare after him for a few seconds before following Simon into the kitchen.

Packing food was an easy feat, and Simon was nice enough, but the worry about Gavin never left his mind. After a few minutes Simon shook his head and told Connor to go look for the other, offering to finish up the packing.

 

With a thankful nod he accepted the offer and had practically ran upstairs, and now stood in the doorway of the bathroom watching as Gavin simply stared ahead into the mirror, a pair of scissors in his hand, the beanie on the side of the sink.

 

“You don’t want to get rid of it,” Connor spoke up, seemingly surprising Gavin. The android must not have heard his steps.

 

“No,” Gavin admitted quietly, knuckles white from how tightly he was gripping the scissors.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“I— we need to get going, don’t we? We don’t have the fucking time for me throwing a hissy fit like this, fucking hell,” Gavin cursed.

 

“Yes, we do, but there will always be time for me to be there for you,” Connor responded softly, moving closer towards the other.

 

“I understand not wanting to part with things that have been with you for so long, with not wanting that change. But I feel like there’s more to it here.”

 

They both went quiet for a moment before Gavin began talking again.

 

“Getting rid of your LED… that’s— that’s not something androids do, alright?!” He blurted out. “It’s something deviants do, and I’m— I’m not a deviant.” His voice became quiet, faltering towards the end, sounding defeated.

 

“Would being a deviant be that bad?” Connor asked carefully.

 

“What kind of fucking question is that?! You’ve seen what that deviant did at the precinct, you’ve heard of them attacking their fucking owners, I— I don’t want to fucking end up hurting you.” Suddenly Gavin looked incredibly exhausted.

 

“You won’t.”

 

“How can you know that?!”

 

“I just know it. I know you.”

 

“I’m still not a fucking deviant.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay?”

 

“Yes. Maybe try seeing getting rid of your LED as something necessary? Because I’m sure you need to acknowledge that our situation is far from usual,” Connor pointed out, and Gavin sighed.

 

“I know, it’s just—”

 

“Difficult,” Connor suggested.

 

“Yes. It’s like leaving a fucking part of me here, and I mean, it’d be exactly that too, on a physical level.”

 

“It would be, but unfortunately it seems necessary.” He closed his hand around Gavin’s, the one that wasn’t holding a metallic pair of scissors.

“I’m here for you,” he whispered.

 

And Gavin lifted the scissors to his temple, closed his eyes.

“Okay,” he whispered back.

 

With a swift motion, he removed the little ring, and it dropped into the sink, a loud, metallic sound against the silence that had engulfed the room.

 

“Let’s fucking go then,” Gavin stated after a few second, and Connor watched the synthetic skin regrow over where the LED had been, leaving behind a small net of scars. Had Gavin looked human before to him, he was now entirely indistinguishable from them.

 

“Let’s go,” Connor said softly, never letting go of Gavin’s hand.

 

They had a place to find, and despite the uncertainty of everything, Connor was sure of one thing: No matter what Gavin was, what Connor was, they would stick together.

 

Gavin couldn't bring himself to look into the sink, to check whether his former identity remained glistening away as they made their way downstairs. Because right now, it didn't matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Markus as Simon was  
> difficult  
> I hope you guys enjoyed it though, and don't forget to leave me your thoughts!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! Look who didn't take a month this time!! Once again, huge thank you to my beta @cheezpotatoe for being the best beta i could ask for and listening to my screaming about this, and to everyone who commented and left kudos  <3 Now, without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy!!

“There, I think that’s one of ‘em.”

 

Gavin tried to point at the symbol that decorated the wall of an old brick building as discreetly as possible, barely visible next to the other pieces of artful graffiti.

 

They had been out in the city all day, and night was beginning to fall, dark clouds covering the sky and swallowing every bit of light that had remained. So far they had only been able to make out one, or rather, now two of the symbols that were supposed to guide their way to Jericho.

 

At Gavin’s quiet voice Connor turned his head and looked up, before his gaze shifted to Gavin, watching the android scan the symbol.

 

It was strange, seeing him in clothing that screamed human, seeing him without his LED, without the uniform Connor had grown so accustomed to.

 

Change was a hard thing to get used to, and sometimes the small things, like seeing his partner without the constant cycling of blue or yellow or red on his temple were harder to adjust to than the big things. Like being on the run.

 

He still hadn’t heard from Hank, and Connor doubted that he would. His cellphone was still turned off, and there was no other way to reach him for now. He could only hope is father was okay, the worry that was still gnawing on him refusing to go away no matter how hard he tried.

 

Gavin’s free hand in his felt warm, warmer than it usually did, and Connor knew exactly what the android was doing, redirecting heat to his fingers and palms to help Connor, who had foolishly left without gloves, stay warm.

 

The feeling of synthetic skin against his own was an incredibly familiar one by now, one that Connor didn’t want to let go of, not a chance.

 

When Gavin was done scanning the wall in front of them, a new holographic image popped up on the android’s palm, and he nodded.

 

“I think we should find someplace to rest for tonight,” Connor suggested, standing still as the android attempted to drag him along wordlessly. He had been oddly quiet most of the time, had seemed distant ever since they had left Markus and Simon’s place, and without the LED, Connor had a hard time knowing what the android was thinking or feeling, any and all micro-expressions lost on him, even bigger ones hard to differentiate.

 

“Why?” Gavin stopped dead in his tracks, looking at everything but Connor. Despite the android never letting go of his partner’s hand Connor couldn’t shake the feeling of something being wrong. Something he couldn’t pinpoint.

 

“I doubt we will have much luck finding anything at night,” he pointed out, and he wasn’t wrong: neither he nor Gavin had any sort of night vision, nothing to help them see the symbols they were looking for after the sun had set.

 

“And I can’t stay up all night, I need sleep.” There was an exhaustion that had taken hold of him, bone deep and crushing, his eyes burning. Despite it, however, his heart was pounding loudly in his chest, thoughts circling. Connor didn’t want to walk around at night like this, not when  crackdowns  had gotten harsher about the presence of androids, and Connor didn’t have anything to prove any sort of ownership over Gavin should he be recognized as not human. The thought alone made him almost throw up in his mouth, the thought of him, of anyone owning his partner and Gavin being anything less than his own, well, person, made him feel sick.

 

But a human running around with an android that didn’t belong to him wouldn’t end well, and there was always the possibility that Gavin’s face could be recognized even though night would cover them. The android wasn’t a unique model, and running around the streets of Detroit after dawn was equivalent to holding a big neon sign saying “trouble” in all capital letters above your head, especially now.

 

Whether it meant that they were trouble, or begging for it, was meaningless. It wasn’t a good idea.

 

Gavin seemed to contemplate for a moment, and Connor held his breath, hoping the other would agree to getting rest for the night.

 

The early November air was bitingly cold against his face, his nose felt like it was freezing off, and maybe the shiver that went through Connor’s body as a particularly cold gust of wind hit them was enough to convince Gavin, because the android slowly began to nod.

 

“Alright, Con, let’s find some place to rest,” Gavin finally agreed.

Thankful, Connor nodded, allowing a small smile to sneak onto his lips at the use of the nickname.

 

“Where to?”

 

“I think we should try and find a motel, or something similar,” Connor decided, looking around. “I have a bit of cash with me, it should be enough.”

 

“You think it’s a good idea to check into a motel? Maybe they’ll recognize us.”

 

Connor shook his head. “I think it’s our best option.”

 

“I mean, I agree, but what if they come looking for us, and we’ll be recognized?”

 

Connor began tugging Gavin with him along the almost empty street, neon light and advertisements and billboards blinding against the dark of the night sky, raindrops beginning to fall onto his skin in rapid succession.

The android wasn’t wrong with his concerns, but they couldn’t keep wandering around at night like this.

 

“We’re in a completely different part of town,” Connor tried to reason, “It will be quite a while until they even think to look for us here. Besides, I doubt we’re their highest priority right now.”

 

The doubt that had settled on Gavin’s face was still there, not budging, and Connor stopped, stood still for a few seconds, frantically thinking about what to say to convince the other before pulling him towards close in the worsening rain.

 

“Trust me?” He asked quietly, pleading, squeezing Gavin’s hand tight.

A moment of silence, before the android shook his head.

“If this goes wrong, it’s on you.”

 

“Thank you,” Connor replied softly, starting to move again, determined to find a place to sleep.

 

The rain felt cold against his skin and he couldn’t help scrunching up his nose as they began looking for a place to stay, walking past endless posters and signs, completely engulfed by the sound of raindrops falling onto the ground to the point where it was beginning to drive Connor insane.

 

By now, the only thing he wanted was to get out of the god forsaken rain that had started to soak through his clothing, wet fabric clinging to him like a second skin.

 

Next to him, Gavin didn’t seem to be in a better condition, despite appearing less bothered by the pouring rain around them.

 

“What about this one?” The android asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had stretched between them, pointing towards the entrance of a small, slightly run-down building with neon lights spelling the word “motel” above it. The “e” wasn’t working anymore.

 

“I’d say it’s worth a try,” Connor replied.

 

On the inside, the small motel didn’t look any better than the exterior did, but at least it was  _ dry _ , Connor thought as he shook his head in an attempt to dry his hair a bit, or shake off the biggest water droplets at least. Gavin regarded him with an amused look on his face as he did so.

 

A tired grin formed on Connor’s face, and he wiped his wet fingers on the almost as damp fabric of his jeans before lacing them with Gavin’s, nodding towards the counter.

 

It appeared to be empty, save for the young man behind it.

 

_ Good _ , he thought.  _ The less people that see us, the better _ .

 

The echo of wet soles against a hard, tiled floor followed them as they walked up to the receptionist, Connor grimacing at the sound.

 

When Gavin cleared his throat, the young man looked up from the magazine he had been reading, glancing over them with a bored look in his eyes.

 

“What can I do for ya?”

 

“We need a room,” Connor replied, sounding more confident than he truly felt.

 

“M’kay, one room, and—” his gaze drifted down towards their intertwined fingers — “one bed, I assume?” He asked, raising one eyebrow.

 

Connor could feel the heat in his cheeks rising, but it was obvious that the man in front of them thought they were a couple. Protesting would only raise his suspicion, or at least make it more likely for him to remember them.

 

“Yes, that should be fine.”

 

The clerk nodded. “One night?”

  
  


“Yes.”

 

“That’d be forty dollars, no room service, clean up and leave whenever you want tomorrow, as long as you’re gone before tomorrow evening,” the young man rattled off like a script, waving his hand around.

 

“You got ID’s with you?”

“I—”

 

“Nah,” Gavin cut in, letting go of Connor’s hand and looping his arm around the other, tugged him closer, slipping his hand into the other’s back pocket and looking at him suggestively. “We’re trying to keep things, uh, discreet, if you catch my drift.” He winked at the clerk.  _ Winked with both eyes,  _ Connor noticed surprised before he felt his cheeks get even redder, averting his gaze.

 

He understood what Gavin was attempting to do, and while he had his ID with him, sure, Gavin didn’t have one, and he could only hope the android’s little ploy would work.

 

The clerk simply nodded in response. “Got it. Still need a name to write in,” he said.

 

“Just book us under the name Reed.” The answer surprised Connor, even though he did his best not to let it show.

 

Another nod from the receptionist, then he started rummaging through a box on the counter.

 

“There’s your key. Room 46. Enjoy your stay,” he grinned at them wildly.

 

The warmth in Connor’s cheeks made a swift return before he mumbled a “thank you” and grabbed the key, motioning for Gavin to follow him into the hallway.

 

“Why “Reed”?” He asked immediately as soon as they entered the room, relief flooding through him, making his knees weak. Connor threw the small bag he had been carrying over his shoulder onto the bed before sitting down on it.

 

The room didn’t look anywhere near comfortable with its sparse furniture, a simple double-bed with sheets that had probably once been white standing in the middle, a night stand next to it on each side, a drawer that certainly had seen better days opposite of it, dirty, yellow light from above illuminating everything.

 

The bed creaked under Connor’s weight as he shifted, waiting for Gavin to reply.

“The Officer I worked with on my first case, his last name was Reed. He retired years ago, but it was the first name that came to my mind,” Gavin shrugged, leaning against the drawer.

 

Satisfied with the explanation, Connor nodded, pulling off his shoes and beginning to rummage in his bag, taking out a fresh pair of boxers and another hoodie to change into, before disappearing into the bathroom.

 

When he came back, he draped his wet clothes over the ancient-looking heater below the window, feeling Gavin’s gaze on him as he walked through the room.

 

“Is everything alright?”

 

“What do you think?” Gavin rolled his eyes, before shaking his head. “We’re running away to a place god knows where, and we’re stuck in this shitty motel room for the night because finding that fucking place couldn’t be easy, so no, everything is not fucking alright,” he shot at Connor.

 

“There’s no need to snap at me, Gavin,” the other replied sharply, sitting down on the bed again, trying to ignore the sound it made.

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Gavin replied, and Connor sighed.

 

“Gavin, please don’t be like that. I’m not happy with our situation either, but arguing won’t get us anywhere.”

 

“Didn’t you want to sleep?”

 

He did, the exhaustions he had felt previously hadn’t mysteriously vanished, not by a long shot.

 

“Yes. I suppose I should,” he answered, shuffling on the bed until his back met the headboard.

 

“Androids can enter a sleep-mode, a stasis, right?” He asked, looking at Gavin with big, curious, eyes.

 

“Yeah, we can.”

 

“Well, you should.”

 

“What if I don’t fucking want to?”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I— mine’s kinda broken,” Gavin admitted, looking away.

 

“You should still try.”

 

“And awkwardly stand in the corner of the room and watch you sleep when I fucking can’t?” He raised an eyebrow, Connor frowned.

 

“No,” he replied, carefully watching Gavin to try and anticipate the other’s reaction.

 

“The bed is big enough. You can sleep, or simply lie down, here. It would at least be more comfortable than standing around,” he suggested.

 

For a few seconds, Gavin simply stared at him.

 

“You sure, meatsack?” The return of the old, crude nickname made Connor smile tiredly, he knew it didn’t hold any malice.

 

“Yes,” he confirmed, hoping Gavin would agree. When the android didn’t react further, he let out a sigh.

 

“Please?”

 

“Oh fucking hell.” He heard Gavin murmur. “If it makes you happy.”

Connor smiled at him, feeling his eyes beginning to burn, his eyelids dropping.

 

“There should be at least a shirt in the bag,” he told Gavin, the second half of the sentence swallowed by a yawn. The other seemed to understand him nevertheless as he ruffled through it, pulling out one of Connor’s gray shirts and a pair of boxer shorts.

 

Connor watched for a few seconds as Gavin walked into the small bathroom and shut the door before turning around and lying down, curling up below the covers.

 

When the android returned the room dimmed, and Connor felt the mattress dip behind him, the bed creaking once more, the covers shift as Gavin slipped below them. He could feel the android’s warmth, and instinctively shuffled closer, bit by bit, until he was almost touching the other.

 

“Gavin?” He whispered into the dark, eyes slipping shut but not entirely closed yet.

 

“Yeah?” The android replied, his voice equally quiet.

 

“I know there’s more that’s bothering you. Please talk to me,” he pleaded, unwilling to let it slide. He was growing increasingly worried.

 

A few seconds of silence turned into a minute, one turned into two, two turned into five and Connor was about to give up when Gavin spoke again, his voice barely more audible.

 

“What if there’s no Jericho?” He breathed, and Connor couldn’t help but turn around, placing his hand of Gavin’s cheek, brown eyes meeting gray.

“Then we’ll find another place,” he assured him. “We’ll find something. We’ll figure something out.” Connor wished he was as optimistic as he sounded.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And— And if there’s a Jericho?” Gavin’s eyelids fell a bit as he leaned into the other’s touch, and Connor couldn’t help but miss the familiar sight of the android’s LED.

 

“What about it?” He asked, confused.

 

“I— The androids there, they’re— they’re all deviants, aren’t they? And— aren’t deviants— I’m not—” Gavin stammered, eyes closing. Connor could see him gulp, and he shuffled a bit closer, almost feeling the other’s body against his.

 

“Would it be so bad if you were?” He asked carefully, knowing full well that the question might upset Gavin.

 

And indeed, the other’s eyes flew open again, and he looked at Connor with a shocked expression on his face.

 

“You can’t be serious right now,” he replied.

 

“I am.”

 

“Connor, you— you’ve seen what deviants can do— I’m— I’m not that, I’m—”

 

“We’ve also seen what humans can do,” he whispered, slowly dragging his thumb across Gavin’s cheekbone, caressing the soft, yet uneven skin.

“That doesn’t mean we’re all like that.”

 

“Yes, but— I’ve— I’ve heard—”

 

Their faces were only inches apart, and Connor could feel the other’s synthetic breath as he spoke quietly, before interrupting him.

 

“What do you think separates regular androids from deviants?” He asked.

“I— they— they’ve hurt humans, haven’t they?”

 

“Some,” Connor replied. “At the police station, we only see those who were caught doing something wrong, hurting someone, destroying property, just like with humans.

 

What do you think causes deviants to act that way?”

 

Gavin remained quiet for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thoughts.

“It’s emotions, right? They— They get overwhelmed by them and then they lash out.”

 

“Yes. It’s— It’s the same with humans a lot of the time, isn’t it? Emotions are— a strange thing.”

 

“Doesn’t that mean they’re bad, if they cause androids to act like this?”

“Emotions are neither good nor bad,” Connor explained calmly, a small smile on his lips. “Emotions simply are. What matters are our actions.

 

Emotions can be overwhelming, and then we, and androids too, it seems, act on them without thinking, letting them control us.”

 

“But why do androids suddenly feel emotions?”

 

“I don’t know,” Connor admitted, shrugging defeatedly.

 

“I just know that it doesn’t make them evil or bad. I think most of the time, they’re confused. Hurt. It doesn’t excuse their actions, but I think it explains them.” He removed his hand from where it was still resting on Gavin’s cheek and let it slide down to where a human’s heart would be, feeling the android’s thirium pump regulator pulse beneath his palm, similar to a human’s heartbeat.

 

“What do you feel right now?” He asked their noses almost touching.

 

Gavin’s breath hitched, and he swallowed.

 

“I— You,” he responded.

 

“Me?” Connor whispered back, confusion written on his face.

“Yes. You’re—” Gavin seemed to struggled to find his words. “You’re always  _ there _ . Always floating around somewhere in my mind, no matter what, no matter what I’m thinking about, you’re always there, if not in the center then always lingering around the edges, it’s like— it’s like there’s nothing without you anymore and— and it scares me.” Gavin’s voice was but a breath, and if Connor hadn’t been so close he wouldn’t have understood him at all.

 

“When you’re here I feel— I feel comfortable— safe. When you’re not here, I wish you were, I’m scared something might happen to you, I’m scared I’ll hurt you if— if I’m truly deviant.”

 

Connor gulped.

 

“You wouldn’t hurt me,” he repeated what he had told Gavin before they had left Markus and Simon’s place. “I know you wouldn’t.”

 

“You said it yourself that emotions are confusing and overwhelming. What if I hurt you without meaning to? Or what if—” he shook his head — “What if I do something worse?”

 

The scene they had witnessed in the precinct this morning (had it really only been this morning?) came to his mind again, images of blue blood that had mixed with red, forming puddles on the floor until they flowed together into an unnatural purple flashed before his mind’s eye.

“I know you won’t.”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“Because I know you,” Connor replied, the other’s quickening “heartbeat” under his palm.

 

“But— But I already endangered you. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be here right now,” he argued, avoiding Connor’s gaze.

 

“I made the decision to come with you on my own accord,” he replied with a stern look on his face. “I knew this— this whole thing will not be easy, but I couldn’t— I couldn’t simply leave you to do this on your own.

 

I’m here because I want to be here, because I want to be with you. I won’t hold any of that against you, not now, not ever.” He smiled lightly.

“Trust me?”

 

This time there was no hesitation, and Gavin nodded. “Of course.”

He brought up his hand to where Connor’s was still lying on his chest and laced their fingers together, his skin slowly retreating.

 

With a surprised gasp Connor noticed what was happening, letting his thumb run along the smooth plastic.

 

“I know you don’t want to be a deviant, but—” he locked eyes with the other again — “if you— if you weren’t able to— to feel, I don’t— How could you feel  _ me _ like you do if you weren’t able to experience emotions? I— I know you don’t want to hear this, but I know you were scared after what happened in that basement, I could feel your thirium pump beating quickly, I—”

 

The stream of words that had been coming out of his mouth stopped abruptly.

 

“I know this— this is a choice you have to make for yourself, to— to believe you are more than a machine, that you are capable of free will and emotions, but— but please don’t shut me out,” he continued, voice trembling slightly.

 

“I— I’m sorry,” Gavin replied.

 

“For snapping at you earlier, I shouldn’t have. I was just— I was—”

“Stressed? Worried? On edge?” Connor suggested, and Gavin nodded,

“Yeah. I think.”

 

Connor could see each scar, each little imperfection on Gavin’s skin as he looked at him.

 

“Connor?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You— you should sleep,” he whispered. “I need to think about this for a bit and— and you need rest.”

 

“Alright,” Connor agreed. “I’m— I should really go to sleep now.”

 

He wasn’t sure whether or not he had simply imagined the feeling of his lips brushing against Gavin’s ever so slightly before he turned around and shifted until his back was leaning against the android’s chest, any reservation lost now as he sought out the other’s warmth.

 

“Good night, Gavin.”

 

“Good night, Connor.”

 

The sun rose late, as it did in winter, coating the room in a soft, yet cold light. Gavin watched with curiosity as the first rays fell onto Connor’s face, illuminating his features. He looked young in his sleep, despite his scrunched together brows he appeared more peaceful than Gavin had seen him in a while now, messy brown hair falling onto his forehead in soft locks, and Gavin couldn’t resist carefully brushing a loose strand of it away, relishing in that feeling, in the memory of the last time he had done this, with Connor fast asleep, head on his desk. Those had been simpler times, none of this running away and finding Jericho business. Just them, their case— and that file that he hadn’t opened. Connor shifted slightly at the touch without waking up.

 

Neither of them had bothered to close the curtains the night before, no mind was paid to it, and Gavin couldn’t help but smile lightly as he watched Connor scrunching up his nose is at the sudden change in brightness.

 

The young man next to him had slept fitfully, had tossed and turned a lot in his sleep, seemingly unable to completely relax until Gavin had thrown his arms around the other and held him close, lending his warmth and comfort to him.

 

Not that Gavin could blame him for not being able to let go of the tension and stress even in his sleep, despite how exhausted Connor had looked before he had gone to rest it had been clear that he had still be on edge.

  
  
  


If he had been human, he was sure his arm would have fallen asleep long ago with the way Connor had curled up on it, using it as a pillow instead of the ones that had already been found in the motel.

 

Like this, the weight felt comforting. He had felt every turn, every shift Connor had made during the night, unable to enter stasis once again, too many thoughts running wild in his mind.

 

What Connor had said about deviants, about emotions had stuck with him, and the young man himself was always there in his thoughts, no matter which of them haunted him.

 

His soft smile, the surprise, the fondness in his eyes when Gavin’s skin had involuntarily retreated from his hand where he had laced his fingers with Connor.

 

The imagined brush of lips against his. Was it really imaged? It had felt real to him, but—

 

Next to him Connor stirred, moved a bit, shuffled closer to Gavin, and the android desperately wished for being able to feel warmth.

 

He wanted to properly feel Connor’s body against his.

 

It was a strange thought, really, not one that seemed like something he  _ should _ be thinking, but there it was.

 

Instead of dwelling on it he pushed it away as much as possible. Coming to terms with the fact that his previous view of deviants might have been wrong was hard enough, there was no need to throw strange thoughts into the mix as well.

 

His internal clock showed it to be 9:47 a.m. when Connor woke up, slight bags under his eyes and hair tousled. Gavin immediately missed the other being so close to him when Connor sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and yawning.

 

“Morning,” he greeted after stretching, where all Gavin could do was watch him with wide eyes, taking in the sight in front of him, doused in cold light from outside.

 

“Morning,” he responded breathily.

 

“I think we should get going.” No beating around the bush, it seemed. Gavin would have been lying if he didn’t feel the slightest bit of disappointment at having to leave their own temporary little bubble, no matter how shabby and uncomfortable the little motel room was.

 

It still felt safer than wandering the streets, not just for him but for Connor too. And he had to admit that he enjoyed the sheer intimacy of the small space, the closeness between them as they sat on the bed, or rather, he sat while Connor slowly got up, grabbing his now dry clothing from the heater and then disappearing into the bathroom.

 

With a shake of his head Gavin got to his feet as well to fetch his own clothing, pulling them on and stalking towards the window watching the last few raindrops trickle down along the glass, his mind kept wandering back to Jericho.

 

How would those androids react? How many were there? Were there any at all? What if Jericho was simply a myth, what if no one had actually made it there?

 

How would they treat Connor? He was human, wasn’t— wasn’t one of them, if there even was such a thing as  _ them _ .

 

Maybe he should have protested more at Connor’s wish to come along. He shouldn’t have let him, shouldn’t have—

 

A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, and he could feel a face being buried in the back of his neck.

 

“No matter what you’re thinking,” Connor whispered softly, “it’s going to be alright.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“More than sure. As long as we’re doing this together, we’ll make it through,” he murmured, pulling Gavin even closer.

 

“Thank you,” the android responded, deciding to enjoy the embrace for a few more seconds before pulling away. When he turned around, the smallest hit of disappointment rushed over Connor’s face, there one second and gone the next, so fast that Gavin almost thought he had imagined it.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

He grabbed the other’s hand.

 

“Ready when you are.”

 

Checking out of the motel hadn’t been harder than checking in, they had cleaned up the room and simply tossed the keys to the clerk, still the same from last night before returning outside.

Yesterday’s rain had stopped, even if it had left the streets mushy and muddy, the snow mostly melted away and gone, leaving puddles all over.

The grossest of weather conditions, if someone were to ask him, he thought as they began looking for the strange symbols once more.

 

Spotting them became easier after a while, actually getting to their location, getting close enough to scan them— less so.

 

Crawling through holes, climbing over brick walls and crates, all while avoiding humans as best as they could.

 

The streets were much more lively now that it was day, people bustling and hurrying, even the odd police officer or two patrolling the streets.

 

It had been more than once that Connor and Gavin felt like they had almost been caught, hiding behind old buildings and Gavin burying his face in Connor’s shoulder on the subway in order to avoid anyone recognizing his features, always trying to find the next symbol that was supposed to lead them to Jericho.

 

Gavin jumped, attempting to get hold of the vertical metal bar of the fence in front of them, his fingers almost touching it before they slipped away.

 

He cursed under his breath and tried again, under Connor’s watchful eyes.

This time, he made the jump and began pulling himself up, putting his feet against the brick wall of the building the fence was attached to as he pulled himself up and over the metal bars.

 

“Now you,” he grinned at Connor, who smiled nervously before jumping to reach the bar Gavin had held onto just seconds ago.

 

His taller frame allowed him to get hold of it more easily, propping his feet against the wall the same way Gavin had, a clumsy copy of the other’s movements as he pushed himself up and over the fence.

 

“Where to?”

 

Gavin pointed towards the top of a building with his thumb.

 

“Up there.”

 

The various plates and the framework allowed for rather easy climbing as they silently made their way upwards, Gavin in the front with Connor right behind him, the other’s breathing hitching and becoming faster, more shallow after a while.

 

“You okay, Con?” Gavin called behind him.

 

“Yes.” The response came almost immediately, and Gavin nodded, though he doubted Connor was able to see it.

 

Once they reached the top, Connor bent forward and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

 

“What now?” He asked after few seconds, and Gavin blinked in confusion as his scanning the symbol simply turned up pitch black.

 

“I— I think that’s the end here.”

 

“Here?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“But— There’s— nothing here.”

 

“Maybe I was right, and Jericho doesn’t exist,” Gavin whispered quietly, looking down into the black abyss in front of them.

 

_ Black abyss? _

 

“Connor, I—” he hesitated, unsure.

 

“I think we need to get down there.”

 

“But how? There’s no ladder, no framework, no—”

 

A creak interrupted him, the wooden platform they were standing on began wavering, and before Gavin could react, they were falling, the only thing escaping his lips a panicked scream as he saw the shock on Connor’s face for a split second.

 

He closed his eyes, squeezed them shut, already bracing for the impact, thirium pump regulator beating in his chest faster than it ever had.

 

Only, the impact never came. Instead, he landed on something… something elastic, a net of some sorts, bouncing up and down before it came to a halt, shifting again when Connor landed next to him.

 

He dared open his eyes again, and indeed, They had fallen into a huge net, Connor’s face was pale as a sheet, eyes wide and hair tousled.

 

Steps started echoing behind them, slow at first, then faster.

 

Gavin shared a glance with Connor, reaching out to him, grabbing his hand, before he turned around.

 

In front of him stood a woman with a short pixie cut, no LED on her temple.

 

She smiled at them sweetly. “Hello, my name is Kara. Welcome to Jericho.”

 

From the shadows, a dozen of androids emerged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? writing a chapter for this without them constantly touching? no way.   
> If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider commeting, comments are some of the most motivating things there is and each and every one of them makes me happy beyond belief <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? updating? yeah. This has honestly been on my laptop for months now bc i was waiting for it to be beta'd, but me and my beta kinda lost touch so -shrug-  
> Huge thank you to Blue1427 who went over it for spelling and grammar bc lord knows i need that  
> I'm not the most satisfied with the chapter, this story really is giving me some trouble, but hey  
> at least it's something? So please don't be too harsh haha  
> anyways  
> despite all of that, i hope you guys enjoy <3

For a moment all he could do was stand there, hand still clutching Connor’s, sensors registering a slight layer of sweat on the other’s palm. His mouth stood agape, and shock was written all over his features.

_ This _ was supposed to be Jericho? He could barely make out anything in the dark besides the androids standing in front of them, his visual sensors maladapted to the lack of brightness surrounding them.

 

The android — Kara — extended a hand, watching him and Connor expectantly. Instead of taking it Gavin scowled and did his best to push himself up on his own in the most dignified way he could manage, feeling a dozen or so pairs of eyes on him. With a tight grip around the other’s hand he pulled his partner — was Connor still his partner? Technically they weren’t on the force anymore — up after him, eyes fixating on Kara in an attempt to try and assess the woman in front of him.

 

Her face looked somewhat familiar, one Gavin was sure he had seen before. He didn’t dare access any database in fear of being tracked through the connection, so he simply stood there, staring at her face until it clicked; Kara was an AX400, one of the most common household models.

 

It explained the gentleness there was to her face, despite the hurt and determination in her eyes. She must have gone through quite a bit, he thought, and Gavin could only imagine what that might have been. But, he figured, all androids who ended up here must have one tragic backstory or another.

 

_ Did they know Connor was human? _ He couldn’t help but wonder as he felt Connor next to him squirm under their gazes ever so slightly. He knew the other would be doing his best to hide how uncomfortable he truly was, but his emotions seemed to be seeping through for Gavin to see them.

“May I know your names?” Kara asked after a few seconds of watching them, expression friendly but observant. Despite her petite stature and gentle demeanor she appeared to be the leader of the group, if the fact that it had been her who had greeted them was anything to go by.

 

He cleared his throat. “I’m Gavin,” he responded after a moment of hesitation. She seemed trustworthy, but one could never know. “And this is Connor.” He nodded toward him.

 

“It’s nice to meet you two,” she smiled. “Feel free to look around, talk to the others here. It’s…” her voice wavered a bit, “it’s not a lot, but it’s safe, at least.”

 

Gavin nodded, still feeling a bit dumbfounded, overwhelmed, and watched as Kara gave them one last friendly smile before turning around and walking into the hallway.

 

The androids surrounding them began to disperse as well, the dark corners that had covered them in shadows emptying as they left, returned to whatever they might have been doing before. Gavin couldn’t imagine that there was much to do here, and a part of him felt — it didn’t feel _right?_ —  for them to live like this.

 

He couldn’t help but wonder what they might be thinking, not missing the glimpse of pity that had appeared in some of their eyes. Some seemed to hold sympathy for them, others distrust and suspicion, but Gavin couldn’t blame them for it. It began creeping up at him that even now, and especially once Connor was found out, they might not be entirely welcome here.

 

But, why would they be? These androids had most likely suffered a lot, many of them probably at the hands of law enforcement, and why it wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye, anyone who had at least a vague knowledge of androids and their models would know what Gavin was. On top of that, they were strangers to them, they didn’t know whether Connor and Gavin held any ill intentions, especially now with the police cracking down on deviant androids harder and harder. The fact that Connor, who was still clutching his hand tightly, was human probably wouldn’t play out in their favor either.

 

He shared a glance with the young man next to him, Connor’s posture was stiff, rigid, and  _ uncomfortable _ . Gavin noticed, his eyes half-lidded as he avoided to look at the world around them. With a squeeze of his hand he attempted to comfort the other without words, causing him to look up.

 

“We got this, ‘kay? We already got this far, no fucking way we’re backing down now. Let’s just— Let’s just go and take a look around, see what these ‘droids here are up to,” he suggested quietly, letting his fingers play with Connor’s, allowing the other to take comfort in the touch and the motion.

 

“Okay,” Connor whispered back, fingers caught in a nervous dance around Gavin’s own hand.

 

For a few seconds they simply remained there, Connor shuffling closer to Gavin, watching each other, trying to assess the other’s well-being before Gavin saw Connor nod,  this time a voiceless “okay” coming over his lips.

 

He swallowed, and with a last look around they began making their way towards the hallway Kara had disappeared into earlier.

 

The room it led into was dark, barely lit by only a few, round windows – bull’s eyes? He wondered. They certainly looked like it—, androids of various models and builds sitting on stairs and crates, traces of Thirium splattered on the ground. “What—" Gavin whispered, torn between shock and the innate urge to bend down and analyze the dried liquid on the floor as he watched the androids talk to each other quietly, some huddled together, others following the new-comers with hawk-eyes.  _ What the fuck happened here? _

 

“Not everyone arrives here in one piece.” A voice appeared behind them, almost as if someone had read Gavin’s mind. He turned around a bit too hastily, dragging Connor with him, only to find a male android standing in front of them, clad in all black, a strong jawline and high cheekbones, no LED, dark hair and green eyes with the appearance of a man in his late thirties or early forties. If it hadn’t been for the slight patch of white on his jaw, near his ear, he would have been indistinguishable from any human, much like most of them. A serious expression adorned the android’s face as his gaze swept over Connor and Gavin. Gavin could swear he saw the android’s jaw tighten.

 

“You’re the new ones, I take it?”” He asked, not letting them out of his sight.

 

“Yeah, what about it?” Gavin shot back, resisting the urge to cross his arms. He didn’t want to let go of Connor’s hands just to let his body show how defensive he felt. A cold shiver ran down his spine as the other didn’t resume speaking, but simply narrowed his eyes.

 

“You’re a police android, right?” He inquired after a few moments of silence, and Gavin felt himself tense up.  _ He knew _ . He was only addressing him with this question, green eyes fixated on him. Not Connor.

 

Gavin gulped.

 

“Yes.”

 

He received a nod in return. “Congratulations on making it here. I’m Allen, it’s good to see a fellow android from the force here.”

Stunned, Gavin simply blinked at him.

“You don’t look like a standard police model,” Connor cut in, and Gavin was internally cursing his friend’s curiosity.

 

When Allen chuckled, Gavin could feel some of the tension he had been holding leave his artificial muscles. “You’ve got good eyes. I used to be part of a SWAT unit before I would up here.”

 

There was a fascinated glimmer in Connor’s eye, but before the young man could continue his questioning someone else joined in, arms crossed in a hostile stance.

 

“Do you plan on mentioning that he’s with a  _ human _ , Allen?” The android practically spat, and Gavin could feel Connor flinch next to him at the way the word had been spoken, as if it was a curse word, an insult. He should have known this was going to happen, Gavin thought, should have convinced Connor to stay with Hank or Niles or at least in the shabby fucking motel, should have done  _ something _ to keep the other safe. His thoughts were racing as the eyes of about a dozen of androids flickered towards them, intently watching the altercation, curiosity, shock, and mistrust on their faces.

 

“Ah, Richard,” Allen said, taking his eyes off of Connor and Gavin for a moment to turn around and look at the other android, a short man who appeared like someone who was in his mid to late forties.

 

“We can’t just have this  _ human _ here, running around and probably telling everything he found out to his superiors once he has a minute,” he argued, glaring. Hushed whispers ran through the crowd, and Gavin was barely able to make out what they were saying.  _ ”He’s right, that one’s human” _ ,  _ ”Oh God _ ”,  _ ”Is he serious?” _ .

 

“And as you said, that android is a  _ police android _ , who knows whether he’s truly deviant, or simply a compliant little machine in this meatsack’s plans?”

“What? No!” Connor yelped in the background, but no one seemed to pay him any mind. Gavin simply squeezed his hand tighter, waiting for what would happen next.

 

“Does that mean you also mistrust me?” Allen quirked up an eyebrow, and Gavin couldn’t help but notice the tension between them. He suspected this wasn’t the first time the two of them had argued like this.

“Or yourself? Didn’t you work for the FBI before? Kara seems to trust them, and I see no reason to doubt her judgement,” he concluded, and Richard seemed to fume.

 

“Kara is—” He stopped, and appeared to be biting his tongue. “You know how soft she can be. She’s biased because of Alice.”

“And what do you propose?”

 

“I propose that—”

 

“That you two please stop this.” No one had noticed Kara approaching, or at least, Gavin hadn’t, and was caught off-guard by her sudden interruption.

 

“Richard, I know you aim to be careful, but these two have not given me a reason to think they’re here to spy on us so far.”

 

“He brought a human with him! Shouldn’t that be enough reason?!”

 

“Should it? Do you distrust me for bringing Alice?” For a woman of her stature and size she seemed strangely intimidating in this moment, exuding authority like Gavin had only seen from Fowler before.

 

“Kara—”

 

“No,” she stated firmly, before shifting her attention to Connor and Gavin, her expression softening. “Would you two mind coming with me? I have a few questions for you if you’re alright with that.” She smiled, and Gavin couldn’t help but relax slightly. Despite deviating, the comforting and gentle air that seemed to surround most caretaker androids hadn’t left her, no matter how intimidating she had been moments ago.

 

“Of course not,” Gavin responded, and she nodded, motioning for them to follow her.

 

He tugged at Connor’s hand and pulled him along, becoming increasingly worried about him. Aside from the brief moment when he had asked Allen about his model not being a standard police one he had barely spoken, had remained stiff and closed-off the whole time. It was almost scary to see the change in the others demeanor and right now he wanted nothing more than to return to that little bubble they had had in the shabby motel room, or even better, to where they had been before this whole mess started. To return to that moment in Connor’s car, laughing in their seats after Connor had tumbled over.

 

The memory still made him feel warm inside when he thought about it, gently coursing through his chest as he looked at the other with soft yet concerned eyes.

 

Connor didn’t react, continuing to stare ahead where Kara was leading them, into what seemed to be the steering room of an old ship.

 

_ So that’s what Jericho is _ , Gavin realized, eyes wandering around the small space. The electronics seemed to have long died down, what probably used to be blinking lights, dead now, metal rusty, wheels and controllers probably stiff and unmovable. The eerie vibe the whole place — ship— had only became stronger in here.

 

“Wait a moment, please? I want to introduce you to someone,” Kara interrupted his thoughts, the sweet smile never leaving her features.

 

Gavin nodded, nervousness creeping up inside of him. Connor next to him kept shifting his weight from one foot to another, and it was beginning to drive Gavin insane. Despite understanding how uncomfortable the young man must feel among all these androids who seemed to be incredibly suspicious of his presence.

 

“Everything’s gonna be alright,” he tried to assure the other, unsure what to say. Connor’s behavior now was dramatically different than it had been in the motel or back at Markus and Simon’s place.

 

“But what if it won’t?” Connor replied after a few seconds of silence, letting go of Gavin’s hand to wipe his palms on the fabric of his jeans. “What if they decide they don’t want us here, what if we— what if you get thrown out just because I’m here? Maybe I should—”

 

“Listen,” Gavin interrupted him firmly, not planning on letting Connor go down a spiral of doubt. Not now, not when safety was so incredibly close.

“We’re in this together now, we’ve been since the fucking moment you decided you didn’t want to leave me to do this alone. Don’t you dare fucking regret this now because I swear to god I’m going to strangle you if you start doing that now.”

 

A weak smile appeared on Connor’s lips and Gavin reciprocated it, reaching out to intertwine their fingers again. He wasn’t sure how much his slightly harsh assurance had actually done to help Connor feel better, but the smile had to account for something, right? Watching the other’s face closely, he moved towards him, just a bit more, his hand tight around Connor’s, trying to make him feel less— alone, perhaps.

 

The door creaked when Kara returned, an apologetic smile on her face. Behind her, he could see a giant man with dark skin and short hair, clearly a model that used to be intended for heavy lifting and construction work.

 

“I’m sorry it took so long,” Kara said before turning around, but not looking at the man behind her. “Alice, dear, I have someone I want to introduce you to.”

Gavin’s eyes widened when a small girl slowly poked her head from behind Kara’s legs, hands grabbing the android’s jacket tightly, eyes wide, face scared and uncertain.

 

The giant looked down at her with a gentle smile as she looked up at him, looking for some sort of confirmation that the situation was okay.

“Alice, this is Connor and Gavin. Connor is human, just like you,” she smiled at the child softly, and finally Alice seemed to dare to move out from behind the android’s frame, looking at Connor with big eyes.

 

“I haven’t met another human lately,” she said quietly, staring at him in awe. “The last ones tried to hurt us. You won’t hurt us, right, Connor?” She asked, and Gavin could feel his heart melt in an instant. He felt a pang in his chest when he looked at her scared expression, but he couldn’t help but find her absolutely adorable. Her brown eyes big and round, as she watched Connor.

 

After a moment of hesitation Connor put on a smile, and Gavin really hoped that the child wouldn’t be able to see how horribly fake it looked for a few seconds before it turned more genuine as Connor crouched down to be on eye-level with her.

 

“Of course not. Kara is your friend, right?” He asked quietly, eyes flickering to the android for a second.

 

“Yes.” There was a hint of pride in her voice as she responded, and Gavin could see Connor’s smile widened.

 

“And Gavin is mine. I wouldn’t dare to try and hurt any of you.”

“Thank you,” she smiled sweetly, and in the background, Gavin noticed the male android putting on of his arms around Kara. With a small gesture, she waved Gavin over and he had to tear away his gaze from Connor and Alice, who was showing off her little hair clips to the other right now.

 

“When I arrived here with Alice, Jericho was a lot smaller,” Kara began quietly as soon as Gavin stood next to her, eyes not looking at him but on the human duo instead, a nostalgic expression grazing her face.

 

“But even those few androids were not all too accepting of Alice in the beginning,” she explained, shuffling closer to the other android.

“When Luther, Alice and I arrived here we were met with a lot of hostility, some even threatened to make us leave again for bringing a human with us. Rose stood up for us, and later Allen did as well. I don’t think you’ve met Rose yet,” she realized, “but she’s very sweet. She was one of the most welcoming people and the first one Alice opened up to, aside from me and Luther, of course.”

 

They watched the display in front of them in silence for a minute.

“Can I ask how you ended up here?” Gavin asked, unable to contain his curiosity, a warm feeling still in his chest as he looked at Connor talking to Alice. He seemed to be a natural at gaining her trust, and he felt incredibly proud. It was good to see him relax again after how stiff and uncomfortable he had been when they had arrived.

 

Kara lifted her arms and wrapped them around her chest, hugging herself as if she was trying to comfort herself.

 

“My former owner— Alice’s father— he used to abuse her,” she said.  Gavin could feel his thirium pump regulator halt for a millisecond. Those were the worst fucking kind of people, the cases he had always hated the most, the ones where the urge to just fucking deck one of these assholes was the strongest.

 

“He used to beat me too, I think— I’m not sure, I was— I was reset, more than once I think. But one day, I just— I was so angry. I wanted to protect her, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I disobeyed his command to stay in the living room while he ran upstairs, chasing after her. I think that’s the moment I deviated. I knew he was— he was high on red ice, I had seen him smoke it earlier, and there was some of it in the laundry room.”

 

He saw Connor flinch and tense up at the mention of the drug, and it was only now that Gavin noticed how forced Connor’s smile had become again. He seemed to be hearing every word Kara said, and it seemed to make him feel— something, Gavin couldn’t pinpoint it. Nothing positive.

“I managed to get to them in time and we fled, through one of the windows. It didn’t go too well at first— I don’t know how often we narrowly escaped death.” She laughed, but without humor. “Somewhere along the way we met Luther, after I almost had my memory wiped again. We ended up at Markus and Simon’s place, I’m sure you know them.”

 

Gavin nodded, unable to look her in the eyes. She had deviated to protect a little girl, a small human who desperately needed her. She had deviated in the face of violence, like so many did, but she had done it out of love, out of the urge to protect and save. It was hard to swallow, hard to unite with what he had seen from deviants in his existence— life— as a police unit. But he felt like he was beginning to rethink the way he thought about them.

 

“They were incredibly kind, they let us stay for a few days before directing us to Jericho. We probably wouldn’t be here without them, and I think they risked a lot to help us— and others like ourselves”

“They did,” Gavin whispered.

 

“Are they okay?” He could clearly hear the shock and concern in her voice.

 

“I don’t know. But I’m sure they’ll manage.” It seemed to be little comfort to her. “We left before the FBI arrived.”

 

Kara nodded.

 

“There’s nothing we can do now,” Luther interjected, and Kara moved closer into his embrace.

 

“You’re right.” She turned to Gavin.

 

“I hope you and Connor can manage to feel safe here. I know not everyone will be accepting of Connor being human, but you need to understand— many of them suffered trauma at the hands of humans. They’ll relearn that not all of them are bad some day, maybe, if things ever get better, but for now— please don’t take it to heart.”

 

“We won’t,” he responded in place of Connor, who was still talking to Alice, but Gavin could see the strain in his smile, in his whole posture.

“Do you think it’ll ever get better? That it’ll ever change?” He wasn’t sure himself. Just days ago he had been part of this system as well, but now— now he felt lost. He still wasn’t sure whether he would really fit in with these deviants, but Kara was giving him hope.

 

“They’ve started hunting for androids, they’re going after everyone who’s helping deviants. All law enforcement androids are being decommissioned,” he told her quietly, watching her eyes go wide.

“Do you think it’ll get worse?”

 

“Probably,” he replied. In his years on the force, he had seen the way humans behaved when something scared them. And Deviants— deviants seemed to absolutely terrify them.

 

“Maybe— maybe it’s time to—”

 

“Kara, I’m sleepy.” Alice’ quiet voice interrupted their conversation and she walked over to them, little feet tapping on the floor, Connor standing up and joining them.

 

“It’s okay, sweety, let’s get you to bed, alright? I’m sure Rose will read you a story.”

 

“Can you tell me one? Or Luther?”

“Of course, little one.”

 

Gavin watched the exchange, feeling both a comforting warmth and a sharp pang in his chest. Was Connor missing his family? He was sure the other did. In an attempt to comfort him even just a little he took his hand, and Connor shot him a thankful glance.

 

“You can stay here for a bit, if you want,” Kara told them. “I’ll put this one to rest.” She smiled before guiding Alice out of the door, Luther closing the door behind the three.

 

Silence stretched between Connor and Gavin. Searching for the right words seemed to be incredibly difficult right now, but he was concerned.

After a few minutes, he managed to speak up.

 

“Do you miss them?”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your family. Niles and Hank.”

 

“I do,” Connor said softly, not looking at Gavin but instead out of the window that allowed them to overlook Jericho.

 

“Dearly. It’s— it’s hard to watch Kara, Alice and Luther without thinking of them. But I’m fine, I’m okay, I’m—”

 

“You’re not.” Gavin interrupted. “You were here for me earlier, let me return the favor, Con.” With that, he moved closer to the other and pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly. Before he leaned against the wall. Connor’s forehead sunk against his shoulder.

 

“The story Kara told— about— about how Alice and her ended up here. It hit a little too close to home,” he breathed.

 

“The red ice?”

 

“Yeah.

 

“I don’t— I can’t remember if I ever told this story to anyone,” he laughed. “except the social worker and therapist that helped me throughout school, maybe.”

 

Gavin remained quiet, giving Connor room to collect his thoughts and speak his mind, one hand coming up and running through Connor’s hair. It wasn’t as soft as it usually was, but it still felt so good between his fingers.

 

“Before we started living with Hank, Niles and me used to live in an orphanage. I think you know that already. Our older sister— she was a lot older than we were, she was around fifteen when our parents died in a car crash. She was already attending university at that age. She was a child genius, absolutely brilliant. Her mentor took Chloe in, but she didn’t have— didn’t have the capacity to care for two small children.”

 

His breathing hitched, and Gavin pulled him closer.

 

“So Niles and me mostly grew up in an orphanage, we wandered from foster family to foster family. I— I think I gave them quite some trouble, and we returned to the home pretty quickly each time.

 

The last one— I don’t even know why they took us in. How they were allowed to. Both were hooked on red ice, and I still can’t get the scent of it out of my head.

 

Hank was still on vices and narcotics at the time, and was called after a visitor, a neighbor if I remember correctly, had started to suspect them being high on the drug or even selling it.

 

When he arrived, both of them were arrested, leaving Niles and me to— to go back to the orphanage. But we were witnesses, especially after having lived with them.”

 

“Did they ever—” Gavin began quietly, a heavy feeling settling over his chest as he held Connor tightly.

 

“Abuse us? No, I don’t think so. They mostly… neglected us, I think. We were only with them for a few months, but— they didn’t really seem to care about us. They blew most of the money they received to care for us on drugs,” he stated.

 

“The husband was— he was violent, but never to us, at least not that I can remember. The furniture, his wife, random people at bars— they got the worst of it.

 

Hank— Hank didn’t want to take us in originally. His son had died not long before the incident, and I don’t think he felt ready to care for kids again, even if it was only for a few days. But Fowler urged him too, and— and I think when he learned that we had lost our parents in a car crash, he felt sympathy.

 

So he took us in, and eventually ended up adopting us. But— But I still have a hard time getting ‘that’ smell out of my head, their grunts and screams when they were fighting over the last hit,” he whispered, burying his head in Gavin’s shoulder.

 

“It’s pretty hard to forget.”

 

“Did you ever see your sister again?”

 

“Only on the news,” he mumbled.

 

“On the news?”

 

“Yes. She— Her name is Chloe. She— She invented androids.”

 

Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle, and he hoped it would ease some of the tension. He wasn’t sure what to say, hadn’t really expected Connor to spill all of these, not here, not right now. But he understood that at a very early age, Connor hadn’t had the stability he had desperately needed at the time— and now that that stability was falling apart again, now that he was unwelcome again, it all came crashing back down.

 

“So she’s the mother of all androids?”

 

“Yup,” he smiled slightly. “I wish I knew her better but— I guess it can’t be helped. She seems to be— be pretty reclusive by now.”

 

“Maybe we can visit her,” Gavin suggested without thinking, his arms wrapped around Connor, his face buried in the other’s hair.

 

“When this is all over.”

 

“You know what?” Connor said, looking up, looking at Gavin with such a warmth in his eyes, such a gentle expression on his face that he could feel his thirium pump regulator skip a few beats before picking up pace, hammering against his artificial ribcage.

 

_ He truly adored him. _

 

“I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to drop by and talk to me on tumblr [@unacceptable-bisexual](https://unacceptable-bisexual.tumblr.com), or join the [convin discord server](https://discord.gg/93AUA7B)! I'm always happy to hear from you guys <3


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